Blended families are unique in the fact that kids are shared between the parents.  Sometimes they are at your house and sometimes they are at my house, but most of the time is typically spent with one or the other.  How do you provide a comfortable space for the child that is all their own?  Do they have their own room or do they share a room?

In our home, it is all girls.  The only time there is a boy among us is when my stepson is visiting.  The girls rooms are pink and purple (not really ‘manly’ colors) so putting him in one of these for the summer, giving him a space he can call his own, is an interesting task.  When he visits for spring break or christmas vacation (aka a week or two) he gets the family room, but during the summer, when he is here for 2 1/2 months, that really isn’t the most feesible plan.  During that time I struggle.

I struggle because I want him to feel like he has his own space in our home, it is for that reason that he has his own bed and bedding that is kept just for him, he has a few toys that stay at our house that are just for him, and a few posters/room decorations that are just his. All of this is packed away when he is gone and things turned back to 100% girly, but knowing he is coming and that summer will be here before I am ready, I already begin to struggle with how am I going to make him feel welcomed?

I believe he needs to have his space, but also my girls need to maintain theirs as well.  Perhaps this year, I will just have to start a little earlier and get our ‘unfinished’ space finished so we can all have our own space.

How do YOU deal with space issues?

**Kel is a mom to 3, wife to 1, caretaker of all + a cat and can be found writing about it at CafeKel or twittering her free moments away , madwoman, social networking fanatic.