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What are their ages or age differences? How is it working? How old were they when moved together?

 

We are deciding how to make our room arrangements when little one comes. (I know it's awhile away but I'm already in full force nesting mode;)). Right now my oldest two (dd and ds) share the bonus room and love it. They get along great and are best of friends but we think it's getting close to the time when boys and girls should separate.???

 

My dd has already said she would like share with new baby girl. That leaves the almost 9yo, 3yo, and 2yo boys. I was thinking to move the 2 and 3 yow together but I really don't see them actually going to sleep without problems. (They sleep in separate rooms now.) So, then I was thinking the 9 and 3 and keep the 2 yo separate for another year? But, the 9yo has tons of Legos and delicate toys he wouldn't want the 3yo to get to.

 

We have 2 bedrooms and 1 large bonus room available for the kids.

 

Sorry this turned into a novel! Thanks for any input!:001_smile:

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My 8 and 10 year old boys share a room and have since the 8 year old was an infant. At that point, we had two cribs in the room. Initially, the baby bothered the toddler, but they soon got used to each other. We moved to bunk beds when I was pg with baby #4. At that point, the boys were 2 amd almost 5. They have been in bunk beds since then. It works well for them to share a room, as they are also best friends.:001_smile: They have a medium sized room, but it is full up with furniture and a piano.:001_huh: I was telling dh the other day that I cannot imagine two big teenagers shoving themselves into that room packed with stuff. We may need to put one of the boys in oldest dd's room once she is moved mostly out of the house, whenever that might be. She will be a junior next year.

 

There is a 10 year gap between my girls, and my oldest has never been open to sharing a room. Her difficult teen angst years hit just as littlest dd was in the toddler stage, so it was a bad combo. I think that, in a pinch, the girls could learn to share a room, though it would require a lot of adjustment for my teenager, who has always had her own room.

 

Well, I'm sure that is more than you (or anyone) ever wanted to know about my kids and their rooms.:tongue_smilie:

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Our two boys are 10 years apart, but they have shared a room since shortly (maybe 3 months?) after youngest was born. They have always gotten along well. We do live on a farm. Our oldest has always 'lived' in the shop, so he's always had that for 'space'. He WANTED a brother though too, so that may make some difference, too.

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When our daughter came along in April, we moved rooms around. We put our 8yr old son in his own room, our almost 4 (in Sept) and almost 2 (in July) in a room together and then the baby will eventually get her own room (being the only girl obviously). I figure my older son is so much older than his younger brothers that he needs his own space from them. For the two younger boys, bedtime isn't an issue since the 2yo goes to bed at 6:30pm and the 4 yo goes to bed around 7pm, which gives the 2yo plenty of time to fall asleep.

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My ds11 and ds5 share a room, and my ds10, ds8, & ds7 share a room. Ds11 chose this when we moved into this house 5.5 years ago, and when they all got new loft beds 2(?) years ago, they all wanted to stay with this split.

 

My older 2 used to share a room at our old house, and they moved in together when boy 3 was born, so they would've been around 3 & 2. It wasn't a huge issue.

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For our two, it was a looooong and tiring process. My oldest is about 3.5 years older than my younger son. We put them in the same room when my younger son was about 6 months old and my oldest was 4.

 

The baby would see his older brother and be distracted and not be able to sleep, so he'd cry. My oldest would come running out at the first sign of a whimper, making the baby cry even more. It took a lot of training, like almost 6 months before they'd go to bed together at the same time. It was also difficult when the baby would go to sleep first and I let my oldest stay up later. The baby would usually wake up when the oldest came to bed, starting the whole cycle over again.

 

Now they go to bed fine. There is often a lot of playing that goes on (younger son throwing his blanket and pillows out at the older son, older son throwing them back, giggling and squealing at each other) but if I get them to bed at about 8, they usually just fall asleep quickly. And my younger son has always had more problems falling asleep, staying asleep, and putting himself back to sleep. But now my oldest son is so used to it that he just sleeps through any crying in the middle of the night. When I go in to comfort my younger son, my oldest is still conked out on his bed.

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My 7yo girl & 3yo girl have shared a room for the last 18 months. There are certainly some nights when they are awake, talking, far to late but you know what? I've really seen their relationship bloom in the last year and I'm so glad we have them together. Nathan is lobbying hard to have Lyra sleep in his room with him- he really wants a room buddy! Probably when she gets closer to 2yo, we'll let her sleep in his room for a few months but the plan is to move her in with the big girls after that.

 

I would not put a 2yo & 3yo together and expect them to get any sleep. I would put the 9yo & 3yo together and keep the 2yo separate for a while longer. As to the lego creations- Could you install some of those floating type shelves on the walls to hold them? High enough for the 9yo to reach but to high for the 3yo? I have a friend with a 10yo and he shares his room with his 7yo,5yo & 3yo brothers. They have 2 sets of bunkbeds but the rule is that *NO ONE* is allowed on the 10yo's bunkbed but him. He has some shelving up there to keep his special projects away from the youngers- could you do something like that?

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We keep our babies in their own room until 1yo or so. My oldest dd has her own room, but it's basically storage for her stuff. She sleeps with the middle three in one room. They LOVE sleeping together, and it seems to draw them closer. I read aloud at bedtime in the group room, and it is such a sweet part of the day. I don't see any need to split them up yet. I am sure they will let me know when it's time.

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When our daughter came along in April, we moved rooms around. We put our 8yr old son in his own room, our almost 4 (in Sept) and almost 2 (in July) in a room together and then the baby will eventually get her own room (being the only girl obviously). I figure my older son is so much older than his younger brothers that he needs his own space from them. For the two younger boys, bedtime isn't an issue since the 2yo goes to bed at 6:30pm and the 4 yo goes to bed around 7pm, which gives the 2yo plenty of time to fall asleep.

 

That's a good idea! Right now the 2 and 3 both go to bed @ 6:30. That may work to push the 3 back 30 min.

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Our boys, almost 13 and 4, share a room. They started sharing when the littlest was close to 2 (he was in our room prior to that). Our oldest was desperate for a brother and desperate for his brother to move into his room.

 

Our girls, 10 and 8, have always shared a room. I think that is a big part of why my oldest likes his brother in his room. He didn't like being the only one with his own room.

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I would not put a 2yo & 3yo together and expect them to get any sleep. I would put the 9yo & 3yo together and keep the 2yo separate for a while longer. As to the lego creations- Could you install some of those floating type shelves on the walls to hold them? High enough for the 9yo to reach but to high for the 3yo? I have a friend with a 10yo and he shares his room with his 7yo,5yo & 3yo brothers. They have 2 sets of bunkbeds but the rule is that *NO ONE* is allowed on the 10yo's bunkbed but him. He has some shelving up there to keep his special projects away from the youngers- could you do something like that?

 

We could probably do something like that too!

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We've done many configurations over the years. I've only once had to put any infant in with someone, but it worked out okay once they got used to it. Thankfully both of those are my deepest sleepers! :) Now though we're in a crazy, but our best so far, set up. Technically my girls 8 and 3 share a room and my boys, 10 and 6 share. The girls have twin beds and the boys have bunks with a trundle underneath. However, they all love to sleep with each other so we came up with schedule. For ex: on Mondays ds 10 and dd 8 are together in the girls' room and ds6 and dd 3 are in the boys' room, Tuesdays ds 10 is with dd 3 in the girls' room, and so on and so on. On Wed. and Sat. everyone is in his/her own bed, then on Sunday nights they're all together in the girls' room and they go to bed early for my at-home "date" night with dh. Clear as mud?

 

It seems chaotic to write it out, but it works great for us! Now...yes, there are nights when I worry about them needing to get to sleep earlier, but dh and I LOVE to hear them chatting and giggling together at night, so we generally let it go as long as they're on their beds and not disturbing the rest of the house! It is so precious to me! It's so sweet to listen to them getting their things ready for bed together: books, cds, etc. My ds 6 loves to get the bed ready for whomever he's with that night with their lovey and pillows. And to hear ds 10 asking my 3 year old what book she'd like him to read to her?!?!? Melt my heart!!! :) And it is amazing to me that there is very rarely any arguing in their rooms at night no matter how they've bickered during the day. It is such a sweet time and I know it will probably change one day so for now we try to cherish it even though they're awake later than I would like! Sweet memories! I'm not sure what the plan will be when our 6 month old enters the mix! :)

 

Okay...sorry that got so long! I haven't stopped and thought about how much I love it in awhile so you got all my sentimental overflow! And now I don't even remember if I answered anything from your post! :) I'm sorry if I didn't! Thank you for making me think about how much I love it though!

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I'm not sure how many toys, etc. you have, but that may play into who gets the bonus room. Your daughter & baby could share one room. The younger boys should share a room with different bedtimes, and the oldest probably needs his own space.

 

If your oldest has the bonus room, you may tell him that it is the playroom & his sleeping room so that your daughter & he can both play in there w/o the younger children getting into small parts. If it's as big as my sister's bonus room, it's big enough to even put a room divider in if he wants and separate the play space from the sleeping/changing space.

 

We have a 15yob, 13yog, and three boys 10, 8, and 6. I'd love for my oldest to have his own room (he would too), but for now, my 13 yo daughter gets the tiny room by herself, and my 4 boys share a room. We are working on a room divider for their room- my oldest has a loft bed and his stuff on his half of the room. The other half of the room has a bunk & trundle bed for the three younger boys, and their dressers/toys are in the closet. It's very squished in there, but it's what we have for now.

 

They do have some trouble getting to sleep at night, but I try to stagger bedtimes too.

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We've done many configurations over the years. I've only once had to put any infant in with someone, but it worked out okay once they got used to it. Thankfully both of those are my deepest sleepers! :) Now though we're in a crazy, but our best so far, set up. Technically my girls 8 and 3 share a room and my boys, 10 and 6 share. The girls have twin beds and the boys have bunks with a trundle underneath. However, they all love to sleep with each other so we came up with schedule. For ex: on Mondays ds 10 and dd 8 are together in the girls' room and ds6 and dd 3 are in the boys' room, Tuesdays ds 10 is with dd 3 in the girls' room, and so on and so on. On Wed. and Sat. everyone is in his/her own bed, then on Sunday nights they're all together in the girls' room and they go to bed early for my at-home "date" night with dh. Clear as mud?

 

It seems chaotic to write it out, but it works great for us! Now...yes, there are nights when I worry about them needing to get to sleep earlier, but dh and I LOVE to hear them chatting and giggling together at night, so we generally let it go as long as they're on their beds and not disturbing the rest of the house! It is so precious to me! It's so sweet to listen to them getting their things ready for bed together: books, cds, etc. My ds 6 loves to get the bed ready for whomever he's with that night with their lovey and pillows. And to hear ds 10 asking my 3 year old what book she'd like him to read to her?!?!? Melt my heart!!! :) And it is amazing to me that there is very rarely any arguing in their rooms at night no matter how they've bickered during the day. It is such a sweet time and I know it will probably change one day so for now we try to cherish it even though they're awake later than I would like! Sweet memories! I'm not sure what the plan will be when our 6 month old enters the mix! :)

 

Okay...sorry that got so long! I haven't stopped and thought about how much I love it in awhile so you got all my sentimental overflow! And now I don't even remember if I answered anything from your post! :) I'm sorry if I didn't! Thank you for making me think about how much I love it though!

 

The first part very muddy! Lol. The second part is exactly what I love and experience with the oldest 2 together. They have great conversations and love to chat before bed. That does make me reconsider separating them.

 

Maybe keep things how they are and ave baby sleep in bassinet and then our closet (it's big and can easily fit a pnp) until youngest 2 are 3 and 4 which will be in Feb. And March.??:confused:

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Right now I have a twenty year old son who pretty much has his own room and a fifteen year old son who is supposed to share it with him but spends a great deal of time with his paternal grandparents. Then, I have another bedroom with a seven year old girl, a four year old boy, a three year old boy and an eight month old baby full-time and a twelve year old girl who is there when she is not with her paternal grandparents. They all manage to sleep in one room just fine.

 

We are planning on the twenty year old moving out soon, then we will have a boys room and a girls room. DH is going to make staggered bunks for the boys room because I don't want to put a four year old and a three year old in standard bunk beds and we feel that the three year old needs a real bed to call his own (my grandson, who has been bumped around a bit). The girls will have a queen loft with a futon bed (for the 12 year old) and a crib underneath.

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My twins share a room and I adore it! Yes they stay up WAY too late talking but they love it and even though they have their own bed almost every night they still share a bed (at almost 11!). We tried other arrangements but they have never worked. I think the 2 and 3 year old would adjust quickly and may love it :)

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The older two shared a room until baby was about 3, when eldest got his own room and middle and youngest started sharing. There is 3 1\2 years from oldest to middle and 4 1\2 years from middle to youngest. Finally this year when my eldest left for a ten month stint as an exchange student, each got their own room. They are 14 and 9. Despite the age differences, younger two have always been very close. But 14 yo does like having his own space now. Eldest will get attic room for the one year he's back here before college.

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They're 9 and almost 7, with 2.5 years between them. We're holding our breath until puberty hits full force with our eldest, but it's good so far. DD the Elder moved into the room when she was 3 (we co-slept prior to this) and DD the Younger moved in a bit over a year ago (she used to be very loud when dreaming, and slept on a mattress on our floor until she'd quieted down enough not to wake her sister). They sleep in bunk beds.

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My 2 year old and almost 4 year old daughters have shared a room for the last year and a half. They go to bed at the same time at night and they nap at the same time in the afternoon. They were both in cribs when we started, and the older is back and forth between a crib and a toddler bed now. Sometimes I have to remind them to settle down during nap time, or I'll tell my older daughter to remember not to wake her sister up if she wakes up first. Generally it hasn't been a problem at all.

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I have all four of my kids in the same room right now. If they decide to keep the baby awake by playing with him, they get to come out and sit in a chair facing the wall, no talking, with their arms folded, until the baby goes back to sleep. Needless to say, they're pretty quiet at bedtime. :D

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My boys started sharing a room when they were 4 and 5. Both were past the stage of needing naps, so I think that helped. I know they wouldn't have slept at nap time (sharing the same room). They are still sharing a room at 8 and 9 and are very good friends. They have the same interests, share the same toys, and have the same sleep needs. I think those things have helped the situation.

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my dd 13 shares with dd6. Not an ideal situation but there are no alternatives

 

My dd 9 shares with her 3 yo brother. Again, not ideal as she is beginning to grow up and will likely need some privacy soon, but she is the only one who can sleep through his loudness. That is why he shares with her. She is the soundest sleeper.

 

Would love to have enough room for eldest to have her own room, as she is in a different phase of life as the others, but this is what we've got. If we had the extra space, eldest would be alone, two middle dd's would share, and boy would have his own place.

 

If the two littles have to share, would you be able to stagger bedtimes, so they could go to sleep w/out keeping one another awake?

 

Or sometimes, when one kid got a late nap and was restless, I would let a child go to sleep in my room and daddy would move them later.

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I would put the youngest two together.....they will adjust eventually.

 

My twins have always shared a room. There were times during the toddler years that they would play instead of sleep, but that was the exception rather than the rule.

 

I would hate having to make my older child go to bed or be VERY quiet because of the younger one needing an earlier bedtime.

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If your older kids are getting along fine and nothing inappropriate is happening, you could leave them together. My DD10 and DS9 share a room, we just have them change clothes in our closet or in the bathroom. My DS is a troublemaker and likes to provoke his sisters, so we have to be careful to not let them change around him or he'll point and laugh. :glare: His older sis is the one who is best at putting him in his place, which is why they share. But as far as boy-girl modesty issues go, I don't think it would be an issue for a couple more years (when we're dealing with puberty issues).

 

My older two share a room and my younger two share a room. Everyone gets along fine. It is hard keeping it all clean and organized though. We are hoping to finish our basement soon, which would give everyone their own room. My son really is challenging for all of us, and having more space will help that, I think.

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We have: 11yog, 9yog, 5yob, 3yog, and 2 kid bedrooms.

 

They swap. By this I mean that the 5yob is always in one room, and the 3yog is always in the other room, and the two olders take a month's turn in each room according to who they're paired with for our buddy system. Sometimes they feel like moving their clothes as well as themselves, sometimes not.

 

One big advantage of it is that the olders are sensible about going to sleep, so the youngers aren't able to chat and play about at bedtime... if they do, they get ratted on :D

 

And with regard to toys, the toys now have specific homes (ie. the lego box goes under this bed, and the playmobil box lives on that shelf - it's not really related to whose bedroom they're in, because they all play in both bedrooms at different times.

 

So far, so good!

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This thread is encouraging. I just now moved DS22mo's crib into the bedroom with DS4. Hopefully it works out. I guess I should say hopefully it works out quickly, because it has to work as there isn't another room for him. DS4 has been begging lately for me to do the move. I think we have close to a year before bunk beds. That will reopen toy space. Anyway, glad to hear all these stories.

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Our almost 17yo dd shares a room with her 6yo brother, and our two middle dds, at 13 & 8, share a room. I wish I could give more privacy to everyone (myself included) but we live in a little house.

 

As for bedtimes, the two littles (6 & 8) go to bed at the same time, the 6yo goes to sleep right away, the 8yo reads in bed until the 13 yo comes to bed 30 minutes later. They tell each other stories. Sometimes the little ones request to have the big ones say prayers with them. I don't mind if they stay up and talk as long as it is mutual.

 

Before ds was born we had all three girls sleeping in one room and all their toys & clothes in the "playroom." There was also a queen-size futon in the playroom for company. Something happened (I can't remember what) to one of the beds and it took a couple weeks to get it fixed. In the mean time we had oldest dd sleep in the playroom. I was worried she'd get so used to having a room of her own she'd never want to share again. I didn't need to worry because even though we put them to bed separately every night; every morning when we got up all three would be in the playroom sleeping together.

 

Amber in SJ

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My just turning 10 boy and girl 8(next month), share his room. She has her own room but only uses it for "alone" time. They are best friends and have always shared a room. Occasionally they make noises about sleeping in different rooms but nothing has ever come of it. I would say another year or two and they'll probably finally make the break. If you wait awhile it will give younger children time to mature (no more eating legos). A bunk bed that will seperate into two different beds would be a good investment.

 

My sister has her oldest share a room with his newborn brother and the poor kid never gets any sleep. I wouldn't recommend the baby sharing a room with anybody else except you for awhile.

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My just turning 10 boy and girl 8(next month), share his room. She has her own room but only uses it for "alone" time. They are best friends and have always shared a room. Occasionally they make noises about sleeping in different rooms but nothing has ever come of it. I would say another year or two and they'll probably finally make the break. If you wait awhile it will give younger children time to mature (no more eating legos). A bunk bed that will seperate into two different beds would be a good investment.

 

My sister has her oldest share a room with his newborn brother and the poor kid never gets any sleep. I wouldn't recommend the baby sharing a room with anybody else except you for awhile.

 

This is my oldest two also. Even when they had their own rooms they always wanted to sleep in the same one.

 

I'm thinking I may try the youngest 2 together. I guess the will adjust.

 

THANK YOU ALL for the advice and suggestions! This forum is really the best place for it!:001_smile:

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