Sibling's Sex and Bedroom Allocation in Childhood: Findings From the French Longitudinal Study of Children
Hanna Maly‐Motta, Olivia SamuelABSTRACT
Objective
This longitudinal, large‐scale investigation examines whether children having a separate bedroom is linked to the sibling sex composition.
Background
Parents structure many aspects of children's lives around their sex and gender, including peer interactions and toy or activity choices. Preliminary qualitative findings suggest that parents also allocate bedrooms based on children's sex.
Methods
Using data from 10,060 children living with both parents in the French Elfe birth cohort (ages 2 months to 10 years across six waves), multilevel longitudinal logistic regression models with random intercepts and Mundlak corrections are calculated.
Results
Children with opposite‐sex siblings across different ages are more likely to have a separate bedroom than those with same‐sex siblings, even after controlling for socioeconomic factors.
Conclusion
Bedroom allocation patterns vary systematically by sibling sex composition.
Implications
These findings are consistent with the possibility that, next to developmental considerations and sibling characteristics, assumptions about boys' and girls' suitability for sharing space may shape gendered household spatial arrangements.