It is common for parents to try to provide a bedroom for each of their children so they have their own space within the home. Whether by choice or necessity, this arrangement isn't always an option.

You might have three children and three bedrooms, meaning at least two of the kids are going to have to room together unless you want to give up the master bedroom. Perhaps one parent works from home and needs an office space.

Sharing a room can be a positive experience for children. Elizabeth Grace, writing for the English parenting site Safe Kids, says cohabiting will teach the children how to share a space and respect their siblings. Libby Kane, writing for the financial site LearnVest, says young children may enjoy having a room together and won't want their own private space until they are older.

Even if you have enough bedrooms to give each child their own room, having siblings share a room can open up extra space for other purposes. Carolyn Purnell, writing for the home design site Apartment Therapy, says one bedroom can be used as a playroom. Once the children outgrow it and start to want their own space, it is easy to convert the playroom back into a bedroom.

Having children share a room can also be a challenge, however. The arrangement has the potential to spark all manner of disagreements over anything from stolen toys to one sibling playing their music too loud.

Disputes over décor can be nipped in the bud by setting up an arrangement which all of the room's inhabitants can agree on. Each child should be allowed to display some personal items, such as posters, in their area of the room.

Grace says you can also get the kids involved in the process to see if they agree on a color scheme or other ways to spruce up the room. Doing so will encourage the children to consider that the room belongs to both of them.

Many if not all of the arguments between the roommates can be quelled by setting up a few ground rules and setting up an amicable division of space. Kane says that in addition to separate beds, each child should have personal areas in the room such as closet space, a desk, or a play area.

If a child wants to borrow an item or otherwise use one of these personal areas, make it clear that they need permission to do so. Each child should be responsible for keeping their own personal areas of the room clean.

Grace says that it is important to encourage privacy when children are sharing a room. Tell them they should knock on the door before entering the room if the door is closed. Kane says that children can maintain privacy while changing clothes by doing so in the bathroom, or you can set up a curtain that can be drawn across a portion of the room for this purpose.

If the age difference between your children is significant enough that they have different bedtimes, you can put one child to bed and have the other stay with you. They can read, play, or do homework in the living room or another area of the home until it is time for them to go to sleep. At that point, they simply need to enter the room quietly so they don't disturb their brother or sister.

Kane says that if you are moving your children from separate rooms into a single one, you should discuss the situation with them and explain how it can be advantageous. She says that if you are considering moving children into their own bedrooms, don't force it; they may want to stay together, and will likely ask for their own room once they get older.