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From: nomi@hou2a.UUCP (N.GUTENMACHER)
Newsgroups: net.kids
Subject: Re: room sharing
Message-ID: <454@hou2a.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 7-Nov-84 10:36:23 EST
Article-I.D.: hou2a.454
Posted: Wed Nov  7 10:36:23 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 9-Nov-84 06:12:55 EST
References: <216@mouton.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Holmdel NJ
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Speaking not as a parent but from my observations of friends and 
relatives who did/not share rooms with siblings... I plan to have
as many of my kids in one room as can fit comfortably. Kids who
share a room learn sharing, compromise, social skills. Siblings who
grew up in the same room -- I have found -- are closer friends (which
to me is important for my kids). I would hate to deprive my kids of
the kind of fun my sister and I had, playing and giggling late into
the night. 

"Privacy" is the big word here. For some reason parents feel their
kids need their own room or they are deprived. I dont believe kids
need that kind of privacy -- I would call it loneliness. Of course
its good if there is some room where a kid can go to when they want
to play or think or work alone sometimes, and by the time they are
teenagers you can give them their own room (if they dont get along
yet or they haven't learned those social skills, they probably never
will) -- by this time privacy IS usually an issue. 

I would be interested to know if others have made similar, or 
dissimilar observations.