I'm trying to figure out how to decorate a room that will be shared by a toddler and preteen. The preteen...?

Ask preteen if she would rather have the half by the window or the door. I suggest the window, so the toddler does not have to walk by her sister's space to get to bed.

Get your preteen lots of wall shelves and places the toddler can't reach, or cupboards that you can put toddler latches on.

Put toddler's toys in baskets on the floor, so she can reach what she wants to play with, in her half of the room.

Find a way to divide the room with furniture, like dressers back to back, so that each has her own space. You can also hang a curtain from the ceiling or on a clothesline-type cord attached to the two walls, that hangs between the dressers, so that there is a visual break to the space. Decorate pre-teens' floor with a different color area rug, so it is more "her" space. Don't have the two halves of the room match. Let her pick her own colors. Teach toddler that she can't go on that rug or in that half of the room without being invited. She can learn to stand at the edge and wait to be invited, or not.

Get your pre-teen good headphones so that she can still listen to her music.

Look around your home for any other space that you could convert to another sleeping space. It has to have an escape window, nearby, so don't choose something like a corner of the basement if she could not get out in a fire. But maybe there's a really large closet somewhere that could be emptied out and made into a cozy space for somebody, or a nifty nook you could curtain off under the stairs. (If it's for the toddler, take off any doors, so she can't accidentally get shut in by herself.) Your toddler will need less room than your older daughter, as she will probably only sleep there, and play where everyone else is, while your preteen needs a place that expresses her personality, where she can entertain friends.

She will mess with her sister's stuff, no matter what. That's what little sisters do. :) You're going to hear OMG MOM SHE'S MESSING WITH MY STUFF!!! constantly. I'm the oldest of 5 and I was tormented daily by little brothers drawing boobies on my cabbage patch kids and my little sister knocking on my bedroom door asking me if she could come in and play with my make-up every 5 minutes. It builds character.

My best advice is that the toddler be allowed to use the room only for sleeping and/or should not be in there unsupervised. (Just ask my friend whose 2 yr old snuck into her 13 yr old sister's room and painted her eyelids with nail polish). Now is a good time for a keepsake box for your older daughter. Things she wants out of reach like journals and cd's can be kept in there and it can be put on the top shelf of the closet so she has a sense of privacy and control over her belongings but little sis can't get her hands on it.

The toddler ultimately is going to try with the pre-teen's items but if you have bins and maybe some wall organizer's where she can keep the things she does not want to be touched that might help. I would try to set aside a space for the pre-teen that is just her's so that there can be some privacy. Good Luck!

Toddlers aren't known for respecting a persons privacy and/or 'stuff'. A privacy screen may be more your pre-teen's style. I agree with the first poster in giving her the back half of the room. It may also behoove you to buy a trunk that your pre-teen can keep closed, along with a baby-proof attachment so kiddo can't get into it. You can use "girly" wall stickers in circle shapes to give it more of a teen inspired yet still playful vibe for both of them.

She will definitely be messing with her sister's stuff, no matter how "fun" you make her half of the room. I'd maybe erect a temporary wall or privacy screen through the room so that your older child can have the more private, back half of the room, and your toddler can be closest to the door.

well when i was a teen my mom made me and my younger sister share a room it was horrible. i mean do you HAVE to make the poor things share? i must tell you that this is going to disrupt your life.

but if i were you i'd let your daughter do most of the decorating i mean if she does most of the arrangements and feels that she has some say in the situation it wont be so hard on her, but also tell her to keep your toddler in mind but let her have control on most of the decorating.

i don't think she'll feel so overwhelmed if you explain to her why they have to share. but if she throws a fit try and understand her. the teen years are the hardest on a persons life and it's especially harder if she doesn't have her privacy.

The toddler isn't going to care what the room looks like as long as her toys are in there so...I would have the preteen get in on the decorating. Ask her how she would like to see the room.