thread: Siblings sharing a bedroom?

  1. #1
    Registered User

    Dec 2006
    Melbourne
    3,041

    Siblings sharing a bedroom?

    We currently have a 3 bedroom house. DD & DS currently have their own rooms & this new little bub will change that & two of the kids will need to share....but which two?

    DS is 4.5yrs & DD is 2.5yrs and they are best of friends. DS is very keen to have this bub in his room though (he has the smallest room) & DD is still a bit too young to get the whole thing. So we're kind of stumped & don't know what to do. It's not something that has to be done before the baby is born as the baby will be in our room for a while but we'd like to have some direction as to what we will be doing. I feel the options that would make the most sense are to have DS & DD share DD's room, they both sleep through the night (DS starts school next year) OR do we have DD & this new bub share a room & leave DS where he is.

    For those of you who have had to make this decision, what have you found has worked best? I'm sure whatever we do it will be fine but I really have nothing to base my decision on. So any help would be very much appreciated!

  2. #2
    Registered User

    Jan 2006
    country victoria
    1,055

    I don't think I can help you in making your decision.

    My first 2 started sharing a room when my DS2 was about 13 months old...this was due to DS1 constantly getting out of his bed and climbing into his brothers cot, so simple solution they shared a room, and they have been sharing ever since. When DS3 came along he had his own room until just before my 4th son arrived. So at present I have 3 boys in one room and the baby on his own. It works well and to be honest I know that they don't cope sleeping in a room on their own (only because they are not used to it). When bubs is around 1 and is sleeping well I will put DS3 in with him so I will have 2 and 2.

    I'm probably leaning towards putting your eldest 2 together, depending on what sort of a sleeper your baby is would it be too disruptive to have one of the others in with it.

  3. #3
    Registered User

    Jan 2008
    Brisbane
    5,039

    I'd get the two older to share. We have 5 bedrooms and often only use TWO! The three oldest love to share so ds room has three beds in it I don't think there is a problem at all with different sexes sharing until they think it's a problem! If they are the best of friends encourage that for as long as possible

  4. #4
    Registered User

    May 2008
    Gtown
    666

    We have a DS who is almost 4 and a DD who is 2 next week. Bubs is due in 6 weeks and we also have a 3 bedroom house so both kids had their own rooms.
    Back in January we decided to put DD in a bed so we moved her into DS's room at the same time. They both can share a room until I know what sex this bubs is and down the track both sexes will share...but I will leave bubs in it's own room for probably 2 yrs as the other two are settled together now and both sleep thru etc...a baby in with DS would just shake our good thing up I think!

    The beds we got are also able to be turned into bunks whenever so we can save a bit more space in the bedroom...got them from ikea!

    I'm not sure if this works best as it is new for me too but so far so good and I'm happy with keeping DS and DD together for the next couple of years I would think! I guess to if we want to experiment and put bubs with one of them sooner rather than later we can try it!

    Hope this helps cos it feels like I've been rambling...lol

  5. #5

    Mar 2004
    Sparta
    12,662

    I'd think it's best to get the older 2 to share to start with and then later when the baby sleeps through s/he can share with the child that is the same gender.

    If your DS starts school next year he needs to get a good night's sleep which might be difficult with a baby who wakes up in the night and very early in the morning.

  6. #6
    Registered User

    Dec 2006
    Melbourne
    3,041

    I don't have any issue at all with the older two sharing despite being different sexes (my FIL feels it's inappropriate though )

    If what we think we saw on the ultrasound is right then DD will be sharing with a boy either way!

    Onyx- I agree with DS needing a good nights sleep which was is a concern of mine.

  7. #7
    Registered User

    Apr 2009
    in the garden
    3,767

    I'd probably lean towards having your older two in together. And like Tegam, i don'tthink having different sexes sharing is a problem - they'll let you know when it's no longer ok.

    Having said that, the best laid plans, yadda yadda... we had two boys in together when I fell pregnant with Pie, we spearated them & set up the bedroom for our youngest to share with the baby (he was 7).

    She's 2 and a half and still in our room

  8. #8
    Registered User

    Apr 2006
    Perth
    4,203

    What Onyx said.

    My girls have shared for most of their lives through their own choice - we had a house full of unused bedrooms too for a while. When I fell pregnant this time the girls each had their own room with a queen size bed each and they chose which room to sleep in together in the same bed. They then decided a couple of months ago that they wanted to sleep in their own beds, but share a room so they're now both in DD2's old room, DH has moved his office (he works from home so not just a home study) into DD1's room and the baby will have DH's old office, which is the smallest bedroom.

  9. #9
    Registered User

    Mar 2006
    4,542

    We have just done this exact move not long along. We decided to put DD (nearly 5) and DS1 (2 1/2) in a room together and DS2 will be in a room by himself when DH finally convinces me to move him out of our room, LOL!!
    We decided with this combo for a few reasons:
    - so the baby doesn't disturb the older sibling overnight
    - we read books in bed of a night so didn't want to potential wake the baby
    - we wanted the older sibling to be able to play in their room during the day
    - we brought a set of bunks so the older siblings ages work better with the bunks
    - plus they wanted to share a room
    When DS2 is ready for a bed we will put the boys in together and DD will have a room to herself. That is about 1 1/2 - 2 years away.
    Good luck with the decision.

  10. #10
    Registered User

    Dec 2006
    Melbourne
    3,041

    Thanks Liv, was hoping you'd pop in!

    Ok, so you've all given me plenty of food for thought, now to discuss with DH & possibly with the kids. I'm feeling a little lost not having a room for the new baby, so maybe we could look at doing this move sooner rather than later. So much to think about!!

    Thanks heaps girls *mwa*

  11. #11
    Registered User

    Mar 2006
    4,542

    We also moved the kids in together months before DS2 came along so that they didn't have such a big change at the same time as the new baby & gave us a few months for everyone to get used to sleeping in the same room.
    That and also so like you we had somewhere to put bubby's stuff. We also have kept a spare bed set up in DS2 room so if we need the other bed if the kids are unsettled we have somewhere to settle them. Or more realistically if poor DH is pushed/kicked out of our bed by the older two, LOL!!

  12. #12
    Registered User

    Dec 2006
    Melbourne
    3,041

    Was just chatting with DH about it before & he thinks putting the older two together is crazy. That was until I asked him how long he was thinking the baby would be in our room for?!?! DD was in our room for 4 months & DH was more than ready to have "our" space back. Even if we still had the kids in and out of our bed each night! Have you got pics Liv? Actually, I might head off and stalk your photos Would love to see some pics of it all set up

  13. #13
    Registered User

    Feb 2006
    NSW Central Coast
    5,301

    My older two have slept in the same room for a few years now. I think DD was about 3 and DS1 was almost 2 when we moved here, which was when they went into the same room together. Tehy will stay in the same room together until we move, DD will be 7 by then and DS1 will be5 1/2. We did it this way so that the baby didn't wake them through the night, and they keep each other company of a night. Tehy very rarely wake each other up, even when they call out for us or have dreams ect. It's worked well for us so far and DD is 5 and DS1 is 3 1/2 now.