Is there a law about opposite sex children sharing the same room?
My ex has my daughter every other weekend and his new girlfriend has two boys aged 8 and 10. He is now taking my daughter there and she is 7 in October, but they are all sleeping in the same bedroom.
(Miss S L, 24 September 2008)
A.
There’s no law in existence which governs children of different sexes sharing rooms in privately owned homes. It’s up to the home owners/parents to sort out bedrooms and sleeping areas and make sure all children are well catered for in terms of sleeping arrangements. Many Children Share Bedrooms with their siblings and step- brothers and sisters and don’t experience any problems (bar the occasional fall-out, as is normal with children!). If there was a law in place, it could be very difficult for people who are unable to buy a bigger home due to lack of money.
However, if the house is rented and owned by a housing association, sometimes they do have rules and regulations in place concerned with how many children, and which sex of children, can sleep in any one bedroom. For example, they may state that after the age of 10, different sexes of siblings shouldn’t share a room. If this applies in this instance, then it would be best to contact the relevant housing association for information and to discuss the circumstances.
If you’re still really concerned about the sleeping situation when your daughter stays with your ex and his girlfriend, then perhaps it may be a good idea to speak to them about it. It’s also important to consider what your daughter feels about the sleeping arrangements and whether she gets on okay with the two boys.
It’s certainly true that when children reach a certain age and enter puberty, they may feel happier having more privacy and sleeping elsewhere. This would be especially so if your daughter felt uncomfortable being in the room with two older boys, especially if she doesn’t know them that well and they’re not blood relatives. Perhaps there may be another room in the house where she could have a put-up bed or sofa bed, instead of sharing with the two boys?
However, if she’s only staying for short periods of time – e.g. one or two nights – and is comfortable with the situation, then it’s up to you and your ex’s discretion to sort out the sleeping arrangements.
The main thing is that everyone involved is happy with it, so do try to have a chat with your ex and your daughter.
Hello everyone.I have been with my husband now for a total of 9 years.Before we got together I was aware he had been married before with 2 children, 1 boy who is now 12 and a girl who is 10.IAt the time we started our relationship the children were quite young but we're staying with us every other weekend, so they know me well by now. However 2 years ago I gave birth to a son that I thought that I would never have and we were ecstatic to say the least.Up until this point my husbands children had quite roomy bedrooms each, but we decided that since they only stay one night a week that it would be fair to move my son of 2 into one of the bigger rooms asobviously it is "his" home and he has a lot of things.My husbands older son did move into the smaller room ,which has a small double bed and a chest of drawers (which are empty), but basically they never need to take they're things out of their weekend bags because they take down so very little hence the smaller room.BUT.... I am since expecting another little one to our delight and although it feels like a millon years away that he or she will be here, I am already in a dilemma over the sleeping arrangments.I'm going to be honest and say that I want my other little one to have their own room whether if its another boy.I feel that my husbands children are older now, don't need a whole lot of space and have had they're own rooms now for long enough.I don't want to offend anyone or hurt anyone's feelings but it is my childrens home and feel that they have first priority.Am I been unreasonable???
CORI - 24 October 2011 @ 9:41 AM
I am really unhappy with my childrens sleeping arrangements when they go to visit their father every other weekend. His new partner has 2 children of her own, a girl aged 14 and a son aged 12. When my children stay they either have to share beds and bedroom with her children or end up sleeping on the sofa! When they come back to me they are tired and irritable. My children are 4,7 and 10. Is there anything I can do. As part of the divorve settlement my husband is getting our rental property to live in where he could give the children rooms of their own. I suspect however that he will sell it, pocket the profit and continue to live in the cramped 3 bed terraced house with his girlfriend. Its so frustrating, the children don't want to stay with him and I hate sending them. Is there anything I can do?
Fee - 14 September 2011 @ 11:06 AM
Is it legal for a father to share a bed with his 4 year old daughter?
donna - 15 July 2011 @ 3:27 PM
When my ten year old son visits his father in the holidays he sleeps with his dad in the main bedroom, his step mother sleeps with her daughter in the daughters bedroom and my sons half brother (1 year old) sleeps on his own in his own bedroom. The little boys bedroom used to be my sons bedroom until the youngest boy was born. I am not entirely happy with my son sleeping with his dad for 1,2 or 3 weeks at a time, this does not seem the right way to go about normal family life and as my son has special needs he cannot understand why he has to sleep with daddy when his little half brother has a room (which used to be his) all to himself. Am I being picky or does anyone else think this is strange?
