When Jeri Willmott posted an Instagram video of the bedroom that four of her five children share, it surpassed one million views and almost 6,000 comments.
The room featured four beds (two on the ground, two elevated), a mini climbing wall and two firefighter’s poles – looking like a child’s dream bedroom. Having recently welcomed her fifth child, the digital creator in Dubai said: “One of those rattan beds will be replaced with the new baby’s cot.”
“They said we need a bigger house with five kids but nah – we love our shared space!” she wrote on her account @my.wildtribe. “I gave Naya options for what set-up she'd like and she chose a climbing wall and a fireman pole. Of course, the boys got jealous and asked for a fireman pole too."
While there were plenty of positive comments from parents who loved the child-friendly set-up, there were also dissenting voices. “Wait for them to get bigger and ask for their own space, or what to have their friends/partners over and can't cause they share a room with the other four,” wrote one commenter. Another added: “As teens they will hate it."
Here, parents and experts speak to The National about the pros and cons of, as well as tips for, siblings sharing a bedroom.
'I love the closeness and connection'
Room sharing has been the default for generations of families, but in modern times the subject has the power to ignite strong feelings on both sides. For many, the option for siblings to have individual rooms is one of privilege, causing more questions over why parents with the space would have their children share bedrooms.
Some believe that if a family has the space available then they have to provide individual rooms for children. For others, siblings sharing a room fosters a sense of togetherness and teaches valuable lessons about sharing and respecting each other’s space.
“I love the closeness and connection,” says ex-Paralympian Jessica Smith, a mother of three in Dubai. “In my opinion and experience, we all thrive when we have a safe and happy sleep environment.”
Smith’s sons Reza, six, and Idris, four, share a room, while daughter Ayla, eight, has her own. “I think it definitely stems from my desire to co-sleep and keep my kids safe,” she says. “I have three younger brothers, so I didn’t share a room as a child but my brothers did and I always felt as though I was missing out on all the fun.”
Research demonstrates there are numerous psychological and developmental benefits to siblings sharing a room. A 2022 study by the US's National Sleep Foundation, for example, found that more than half of those surveyed (all parents, guardians or caregivers) agreed children who share a room are better at socialising and getting along better, while 76.4 per cent said they believe their children comfort each other.
But experts and parents interviewed also agree there can be practical benefits, too, as it can negate the need for different bedtimes and evening routines, while children who are afraid of the dark will take comfort in having companionship in the room if they wake up at night.
“It strengthens the bond between siblings and improves interpersonal relationships and communication skills,” says Arfa Banu Khan, clinical psychologist at Aster Clinic, Bur Dubai. “Siblings become helpful and supportive towards each other, helps regulate better sleep as sharing a room with siblings provides a sense of reassurance and comfort, and it can also teach the value of sharing.”
Creating and defining shared spaces
Experts agree that when sharing a room, it’s important to designate certain areas per child, as well as allow for common spaces.
“I feel that we weren’t as clear as we should have been in the beginning when our daughters started sharing a room which led to a lot of arguments,” says Amal Al Henchiri, a stay-at-home mother to two daughters.
“Our girls each had their own rooms, but when we had a family member come to stay for an extended length of time, they had to share. I think there is a big difference between kids asking to share a room and also when they think they are being forced to.”
She adds: “We just kind of hoped they would get on with it and adapt to their shared space, but came to realise we had to step in to establish firm rules to which they could both agree.”
When should children stop sharing a room?
There are no laws or age cut-offs for when children should stop sharing a room. When it comes to siblings of different genders experts agree that puberty is a natural marker to end co-sharing so children can have more privacy. For siblings of the same gender, experts say parents should let their wishes inform the decision based on needs and personalities.
In the UK, the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children cites the government’s Housing Act 1985: “It’s recommended that children over the age of 10 should have their own bedrooms – even if they’re siblings or step-siblings.”
Khan says: “It is based on many factors like the gender of siblings, space availability etc, but around the age of eight to 10 is usual to stop sharing a room. It may be a little earlier than this or extend beyond the years.”
For Al Henchiri, her daughters shared a room for just over a year. “They were very happy to have their own space back, but they still hang out in each other’s rooms and I think they share more freely," she says.
Smith calls her sons' shared room “a special bonding time” but admits “it does change as you get older and you need more privacy".
As for what her children think, Reza says: “I love sharing with Idris because we get to play and read together and if we get scared we can sleep with each other. But sometimes he annoys me.”
Many experts agree that, while there’s no designated age for children to start sharing a room, it works best once children can sleep through the night. For older children, clear divisions between their personal space and rules around their possessions can help to avert arguments.
“Parents can help set boundaries for personal space,” says Khan. “Encouraging open communication can help to have clear communication and resolve conflict respectfully. Establishing a cleaning routine helps promote cooperation and respect for each other's space.”
For Smith, the move towards her two sons sharing a room felt organic, but they still needed guidance from mum and dad.
“I think issues arise when we feel we don’t have boundaries or privacy,” she says. “The boys each have their own bed and they also have a section in the room that they helped decorate. Reza has a reading corner with books he doesn’t want Idris to have, and Idris has an area with his Paw Patrol toys that he doesn’t like Reza touching.”
She adds: “Sharing is a concept that kids don’t really grasp until they are older. So, in my opinion, sharing rooms helps my kids to navigate their feelings and emotions while also learning to establish boundaries.”
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Stamp duty timeline
December 2014: Former UK finance minister George Osbourne reforms stamp duty, replacing the slab system with a blended rate scheme, with the top rate increasing to 12 per cent from 10 per cent:
Up to £125,000 - 0%; £125,000 to £250,000 – 2%; £250,000 to £925,000 – 5%; £925,000 to £1.5m: 10%; Over £1.5m – 12%
April 2016: New 3% surcharge applied to any buy-to-let properties or additional homes purchased.
July 2020: Rishi Sunak unveils SDLT holiday, with no tax to pay on the first £500,000, with buyers saving up to £15,000.
March 2021: Mr Sunak decides the fate of SDLT holiday at his March 3 budget, with expectations he will extend the perk unti June.
April 2021: 2% SDLT surcharge added to property transactions made by overseas buyers.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More from Neighbourhood Watch
MATCH INFO
Juventus 1 (Dybala 45')
Lazio 3 (Alberto 16', Lulic 73', Cataldi 90 4')
Red card: Rodrigo Bentancur (Juventus)
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
What%20is%20Dungeons%20%26%20Dragons%3F%20
%3Cp%3EDungeons%20%26amp%3B%20Dragons%20began%20as%20an%20interactive%20game%20which%20would%20be%20set%20up%20on%20a%20table%20in%201974.%20One%20player%20takes%20on%20the%20role%20of%20dungeon%20master%2C%20who%20directs%20the%20game%2C%20while%20the%20other%20players%20each%20portray%20a%20character%2C%20determining%20its%20species%2C%20occupation%20and%20moral%20and%20ethical%20outlook.%20They%20can%20choose%20the%20character%E2%80%99s%20abilities%2C%20such%20as%20strength%2C%20constitution%2C%20dexterity%2C%20intelligence%2C%20wisdom%20and%20charisma.%20In%20layman%E2%80%99s%20terms%2C%20the%20winner%20is%20the%20one%20who%20amasses%20the%20highest%20score.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
TECH%20SPECS%3A%20APPLE%20WATCH%20SERIES%208
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDisplay%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2041mm%2C%20352%20x%20430%3B%2045mm%2C%20396%20x%20484%3B%20Retina%20LTPO%20OLED%2C%20up%20to%201000%20nits%2C%20always-on%3B%20Ion-X%20glass%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EProcessor%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Apple%20S8%2C%20W3%20wireless%2C%20U1%20ultra-wideband%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECapacity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2032GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMemory%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPlatform%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20watchOS%209%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EHealth%20metrics%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203rd-gen%20heart%20rate%20sensor%2C%20temperature%20sensing%2C%20ECG%2C%20blood%20oxygen%2C%20workouts%2C%20fall%2Fcrash%20detection%3B%20emergency%20SOS%2C%20international%20emergency%20calling%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EConnectivity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20GPS%2FGPS%20%2B%20cellular%3B%20Wi-Fi%2C%20LTE%2C%20Bluetooth%205.3%2C%20NFC%20(Apple%20Pay)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDurability%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20IP6X%2C%20water%20resistant%20up%20to%2050m%2C%20dust%20resistant%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20308mAh%20Li-ion%2C%20up%20to%2018h%2C%20wireless%20charging%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECards%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20eSIM%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFinishes%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Aluminium%20%E2%80%93%20midnight%2C%20Product%20Red%2C%20silver%2C%20starlight%3B%20stainless%20steel%20%E2%80%93%20gold%2C%20graphite%2C%20silver%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIn%20the%20box%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Watch%20Series%208%2C%20magnetic-to-USB-C%20charging%20cable%2C%20band%2Floop%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Starts%20at%20Dh1%2C599%20(41mm)%20%2F%20Dh1%2C999%20(45mm)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Match info
Liverpool 4
Salah (19'), Mane (45 2', 53'), Sturridge (87')
West Ham United 0
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The five pillars of Islam
More on Quran memorisation:
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
More on Quran memorisation:
ARGYLLE
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Matthew%20Vaughn%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Bryce%20Dallas%20Howard%2C%20Sam%20Rockwell%2C%20John%20Cena%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
England's all-time record goalscorers:
Wayne Rooney 53
Bobby Charlton 49
Gary Lineker 48
Jimmy Greaves 44
Michael Owen 40
Tom Finney 30
Nat Lofthouse 30
Alan Shearer 30
Viv Woodward 29
Frank Lampard 29
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
More on animal trafficking
The years Ramadan fell in May
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Our legal advisor
Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation.
Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.
Alita: Battle Angel
Director: Robert Rodriguez
Stars: Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz, Keean Johnson
Four stars
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
More coverage from the Future Forum
The biog
Favourite hobby: I love to sing but I don’t get to sing as much nowadays sadly.
Favourite book: Anything by Sidney Sheldon.
Favourite movie: The Exorcist 2. It is a big thing in our family to sit around together and watch horror movies, I love watching them.
Favourite holiday destination: The favourite place I have been to is Florence, it is a beautiful city. My dream though has always been to visit Cyprus, I really want to go there.
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
