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thread: Need some advice re Toddlers sleeping in parent's room

  1. #1
    Registered User

    Nov 2005
    in a house!
    6,125

    Need some advice re Toddlers sleeping in parent's room

    Ok I really need some reassurance. Hopefully I am not the only one here. Please don't use this thread to tell me how bad this is in the long run...blah blah.

    Does anybody else have their toddler still in their room? And does anyone else plan on leaving them for a while yet?

    I am just not ready. I can't elaborate much more. Perhaps it is linked to my PND. Actually I'm positive that it is. BUt I just can't move him to his own room. And yes it does look like we will have two kids in our room.

    Has anyone else done it?Please say yes

  2. #2
    BellyBelly Life Subscriber

    Jul 2008
    Eastern Surburbs, Melbourne
    1,841

    Mabello,
    There is no reason you cannot have your child in your room if you want.
    My youngest brother slept in my parents room until the age of 4 or 5 due to lack of space and it didn't do anyone any harm. He is now the father of 4 and his children all slept in their room until they went into a bed, again due to lack of space.

    What did parents do in years gone by that had large families and small houses?
    When the time is right he will move to his own room, only you as a family know when that will be.

    All the best on your scan this week.

  3. #3
    Registered User
    Add fionas on Facebook

    Apr 2007
    Recently treechanged to Woodend, VIC
    3,473

    Absolutely agree with Rivlas though if you'd asked me five years ago, I would have thought you were both crazy LOL.

    DD still sleeps in our room and she's 17 months old. Initially this was because we had some structural things wrong with the house so she kind of HAD to be in our room, but I actually really like it. We will finally be getting her room 'fixed' in about a month so in theory she can go into her own room. However, I'm not ENTIRELY comfortable with this so I have also put a single bed in there too so that I can sleep in there if I want to.

    I'm sure it's not down to this alone, but everyone tells me what a happy baby she is. We have a carer come in to look after a couple of times a week who also looks after a few other babies, and she always says to me, "I CANNOT get over how happy she is all the time." I really put it down to the fact that she is very secure because we are never far away from her, we let her sleep when she wants to sleep and I don't bother trying to get her out of the house when she'd rather have a four-hour day sleep.

    Sorry, that turned into a ramble but DP and I were just talking about this earlier.

    So to summarise, I'd say don't worry about it - if it works, carry on. And if it starts to feel Not Quite Right, then slowly change it.

    I just feel much more bonded to DD having her sleep in our room. I can't imagine going 12 hours not hearing her breathing and shnuffling about. I just think it's lovely. Half the time when I go to bed, I accidentally make a bit too much noise in the hope that she will stir and I have a half-decent excuse to go over, pick her up and give her a cuddle.

  4. #4
    Matryoshka Guest

    Mate you do whatever makes you happy! i know a family who has their FIVE kids all in their room and these are the coolest most outgoing happy kids i've ever met!

    Our boys both have their own rooms and bed/cot but by morning both are usually in our bed. If people tell you are making a rod for your own back you can tell them just where to shove that rod Its really none of anyones business what your sleeping arrangements are.

  5. #5
    Registered User
    Add Butterfly Dawn on Facebook

    Aug 2008
    Climbing Mt foldmore
    2,894

    Cool We do!

    We have 2 kids in our room. sometimes 2 in our bed. We co-sleep with the baby and untill about 3 mths ago DS1- he now has a cot at the end of the bed- we have taken 1 side of the rail off so its easy to access. Some nights DS1 will go in there himself, other nights he falls asleep in the big bed and we put him in cot later, unless hes sick then DH likes to keep an eye on him.
    We have our bed against the wall and baby sleeps closest to the wall then me, DS1 (if hes there) and then DH on the outside.
    I put the baby to sleep 1st, then 30mins later DS1 comes to bed. If im not staying with them I put pillows on the outside edge of the bed and keep the door semi open to hear any noise.
    Hope this helps

  6. #6
    BellyBelly Member

    Mar 2008
    Kurri Kurri
    1,715

    I have my youngest 2 in our room with us. Our toddler reverted a little when the new bubs came home but we didn't make a fuss about it. We just put the bassinette in our room for bubs and the cot for our toddler. She has her own room and sometimes will have her day time sleep in there but likes to sleep in our room at night. If it makes her feel better then so be it. She will let us know when she is ready.

    You're not the only one

  7. #7
    Ellibam Guest

    both my kids start in their own rooms but end up with us...
    when DD was born we had co slept with both( we even bought a king size bed)

  8. #8
    Registered User

    Dec 2004
    Gippsland
    103

    We have our son in our room (just turned 3). Expecting another bub in about 3 months and I can't see the situation changing! We are quite happy with him there DS is in a single bed next to our queen so there is plenty of room.

  9. #9
    Registered User

    Nov 2005
    in a house!
    6,125

    Thank yu sooooooooooooooooo much. I feel so much more at ease now. I'll BBL with more personal respnses xxx

  10. #10
    Registered User

    Aug 2006
    3,562

    Babe, I say do whatever you think is best for you. I know LOTS of families who end up with both kids in their bed every night, most wouldn't admit to it, but it happens more than anyone talks about!!

  11. #11
    Registered User

    Nov 2005
    in a house!
    6,125

    Ok Ds is happiy playing for 5 secs so here goes...

    Very rarely does DS actually sleep in our bed. If he does, its only to resettle with DH and then gets placed back in his cot which is on the side of the bed with the rail off. I really don't like having kids in my bed so I guess that is better.

    There is plenty of room in our room for a bed, cot and basinette. I kinda wish there wasnt then I would have no choice! lol

    Ds is not the happiest of kids, but I really think he would be worse if he didnt sleep with us. In the mornings he crawls over to me and will only go back to sleep if his arms are wrapped around my neck and he is laying on top of me. It is the most beautiful (but suffocating)thing!

    I really think that he would feel that we are "throwing him out" if we put him in his own bedroom.

  12. #12
    Registered User

    Oct 2006
    Sydney
    4,081

    I kind of KWYM Danni, even though our sitch is different as DD is in her own room. This baby will either sleep in our room or in the spare room which is further away from our room than DD's room. To others (even DH) it would make sense to move DD to the room further away, but I decided not to move DD because I didn't want her to feel 'chucked out' of her comfortable space before the baby comes.
    So no, we don't share a room with her but I understand your sentiment and I think it is thoughtful of you to consider Mason's needs, and wanted to encourage you that you will manage just fine!

  13. #13
    Registered User

    Oct 2003
    Forestville NSW
    8,944

    Matilda was in her own room when Jovie was born, but she always wound up in our bed, so we put a bed in our room for her as well, we actually moved her into our room when Jovie was born.... so she didn't feel like she was left out. We all got more sleep that way.

  14. #14
    Registered User

    Jun 2007
    Dandenong Ranges, Melbourne.
    5,673

    ds is still in our room. not too sure what's going to happen when the new bubs arrives, but don't really care either iykwim? we'll just take it day by day and do whatever works for our family.

  15. #15
    Registered User

    Jul 2006
    Brisbane
    3,205

    Awww Danni, you're still agonising I see. It's ok!! Oskar is also still right next to me in his cot in our room...lol. DH did mention something the other day about having to think about moving him soon, blah blah blah.... I'M NOT READY!! Fullstop, end of conversation. I really like having him right there and he likes it too and I think he sleeps better with me there.

    I have a question to those who have done the toddler and baby in the same room with you or know of people who have.... have they seemed to disturb each other if they wake up or been ok?? Oskar wasn't a crier when he woke for a feed so I doubt it would've been too much of a worry, I did turn tv on for light but might have to resort to leaving the room with the next one.

  16. #16
    Registered User

    Apr 2006
    Perth
    4,203

    I don't sleep with either of my babies in my room anymore. For me it just didn't work because all their little snuffles kept me awake at night, so they were in their own rooms by 3 months and 5 months respectively. BUT having said that, many nights will find me lying on the couch in DD#1's room so that I can be close to her (usually after I've just had my closeness time giving DD#2 a feed) so I completely understand why you are finding it hard to move him out.

    I say do whatever works for you, your DH and M. When its no longer working then look at alternatives. I don't think you are making life more difficult for yourself down the track, and TBH even if you are, so what. You keep him in your room how and you "might" be making problems for yourself down the track, but in the meantime you are all happy NOW. I'm all for doing what works for today, and let tomorrow worry about itself.

  17. #17
    Registered User

    Aug 2004
    Hunter Valley, Wine Country, NSW
    3,006

    Both my boys where in our room up until October, 2008 so they were 3 years, 5 months and 2 years, 2 months before they moved out of Mummy and Daddy`s room, now we have space in our room for 2 more

  18. #18
    Registered User

    Nov 2005
    in a house!
    6,125

    Oh dee, tell me more!! How was Matthew when Adrian was born? Did the crying wake him up or what about night feeds etc?

    How did you go moving them out at that age? Did they transition well?

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