Sharing a room - baby & older child

[Epacris]

My DS and DD have shared a room since DD was 8 weeks old, DS was just over 2 when she moved in with him. It's been a very happy arrangement for all of us.

As far as the evening routine goes, we all eat dinner together, the TV is off, we all eat our veges (well, at least three of us do), we use our cutlery and practice making polite conversation. Then DS and DD have a bath together. The dinner/bath together is really important for us as a family. Then DS and DD each go to bed when they're tired. Sometimes DS goes first, sometimes DD goes first.

DS usually sleeps through the night but maybe once a week/once a fortnight he'll wake and come and wake me up. I just take him back to bed again. DD is a really random sleeper, sometimes she sleeps through, sometimes she wakes (and feeds) 2 hourly . We don't have a monitor in their room (never have) and their door is only open a tiny crack. I can't hear DD fussing but it's amazing how in tune I am to her noises and even though I'm asleep, I can get to her quite quickly if/when she needs me.

I think I could count on one hand the number of times one has woken the other and that's not through general lack of night waking, we have our fair share. Dunno we're just lucky I guess

[minimatron]

My girls have to share a room too. We held off for as long as posibble til dd2 was too long for the bassinett and also the fact we moved dd1 into her big bed.

We have kept dd1s routine the same, dinner around 530, bath and bed by 730ish. DD1 generally sleeps through most nights. DD2 is still not in a great routine and sometimes wake up up to 4 times a night. She has a loud enough cry and has on the odd occassion woken dd1 up. On the most part though, dd1 manages to stay asleep. DD2 sometimes sleeps through dd1, but is usually awake before her!

[Nai]

DD1 has been away at my mum's place for the weekend and we thought that we would use that opportunity to get DD2 relocated into their shared room. However she has screamed for 2 hours straight the last 2 nights (from 1.30 - 3,30am)! Arrgh! Maybe we left the transition too late There is no way that DD1 will sleep through that noise!!