Why, in my day …

Ran across what struck me as a rather bizarre statistic on the radio this morning. It was a little self-serving, since the story was about “luxury” housing for college students, and the person giving the statistic was a developer. Nonetheless, his claim was that, of high school graduates going on to college, 87% had never shared a bedroom, and 82% never shared a bathroom, in their lives.

Never shared a bedroom? Never shared a bathroom? Was there a huge surge in only children that year? Or just a lot of wealthy parents with big houses?

My family was moderately well-to-do while I was growing. My dad had a decent executive position in a major bank. My brother and I shared one bedroom until I was in junior high, when I managed to wheedle my folks into letting me semi-move into the guest room (“semi” because it was expected that I’d move right back into one of the twin beds whenever guests came over). Regardless, we shared a bathroom.

Margie and her brother Eric shared rooms when they were both small. Even later, they still shared bathrooms.

I’ll try not to sound like the old fogie describing how Things Were Tougher But Better Back In My Days, Dammit! But I think kids sharing a room (as well as a bathroom) is a useful thing, not only as a general economy for the family, but as a way to get to learn to share things. Sure, it probably provokes more conflicts, but ultimately I think it also fosters an expectation of sucking it up and dealing with such conflicts.

Weird. Just struck me as weird.