Private Space for Kids

A Little Curtain Can Go a Long Way

• What: Giving kids their own space
• When: 2 years and up
• Why: Keep kids sleeping quarters separate
• Where: Your home

Looking for a way to give a child who shares a bedroom some privacy? If you can’t find room for a nook, try one of these quick fixes to give them the space they crave in their own bed.

Curtains make an easy divider. They come in many different colors and themes, and some can even block light as well. You can hang a wire around the bed to support the drapes, even for bed without tops like bunk beds or canopies. Kids can close the curtains when they need some private space or time out of sight of siblings. Yet the fabric tucks easily away without taking up much space when not needed. Invest in a set of clip on hooks to make fabric changes easy as kids grow older (or for when you need to wash the curtains). Clips also mean when the curtains invariably get tugged, the curtain comes down (rather than the wire or the rod).

Dream Tents offer another option for twin beds in tighter spaces. Our oldest sleeps on the top bunk, which doesn’t have clearance for traditional curtains. Instead, he uses his Dream Tent. This lightweight fabric frame tucks underneath the mattress to support the arched material, so it works on virtually any twin bed. It also comes with curtains on one of the two open sides, which can be tied back when not in use.

My son has slept with his Dream Tent since he got it for his birthday years ago, and loves the privacy it offers. I love the way it keeps more of his stuff from falling out onto the floor. The tent covers about half the length of a standard twin mattress, so if you need more coverage, you could put two on either end. The polyester fabric wipes clean easily and resists collecting dust with its smooth curved surface. Dream Tents come in a variety of themes, like space, unicorn, undersea, mermaid, dinosaurs, forest, and winter.

No matter what your setup, keep your kids happy and separate with one of these easy solutions to separate siblings in shared rooms.