If you have 2 young children share a room please come in!

Jerseygirl16

DD #1 just turned 3 years old this month and DD #2 is 15 months old.  I am due with our third child mid-January and we are trying to decide the sleeping arrangements.  DD #1 has been in a big girl bed since she started to jump out of the crib at 16 1/2 months old.  I'm hoping to be able to get DD #2 into a toddler bed by the time the baby arrives and be able to free up the crib for him or her.  Our townhouse has 3 bedrooms so someone is going to have to share.  The new baby will bunk in with us for the first couple months but honestly I'd rather it be closer to a month if possible. 

My concern is leaving my 3 year old alone in a room with her younger sister.  Right now she plays pretty rough with her and often lays on top of her, covers her in blankers (head and all), or runs up from behind her and knocks her over with a "hug" that lands right around her neck.  Of course, we correct these actions and explain that she has to be more gentle with her little sister but they still happen sometimes and if I had to have them share a room together today I'd be very worried about it.

Potentially though they will be 3 1/2 and 22 months when I'd want them to start sharing.  Is this too young?  Am I asking for trouble?  

The other option would be having #2 room with the new baby which I think makes me even more nervous. 

Any advice?  

EXL311

DS and DD actually share a bed and started doing so when DS was about 3.5 and DD just turned 2.  It's a little different for us because I've ended up sleeping with them often for different reasons (mainly health, long story).  The biggest problem I have is them keeping each other up if I'm not in there reading, to myself, when they're going to sleep or threaten to separate them.  I think it would be easier if they were in separate beds though but I think putting the older two together is a better idea.

MSUmommy

Funny, I have the same dilemma, although mine are a boy and a girl. We also have a three bedroom condo, but are hoping to move if we can sell the darn thing soon. Anyway...

I am going to put them together by Thanksgiving and see how it goes. The baby won't be here until early Feb, but I'd rather have the transition done. Mine will be 3 1/2 and 2 1/2. I am mostly concerned with them goofing off and not sleeping. I think I might try nighttime first and then wait a little longer for naps. I'm not sure. So I have no advice, but just wanted to say we are in the same boat.

 Good luck!

 

Ciarrai

I'm not sure how helpful it is, but my girls have shared a room since DD#2 was about 4 or 5 months and DD#1 had just turned 2.  DD#2 is still in a crib, though, so it's a little different.  We did have a few nights where we went in to find her covered in stuffed animals b/c DD#1 was "sharing" but mostly they did great.  It took about a week for them to get used to sharing a room.  I will say you need to give it time.  If you can, move them before the baby comes b/c it's one less adjustment at the same time.  When you move them, they probably will not sleep well or anything for the first few nights or maybe first week.  Don't give up.  In fact, we found that it's easiest if they figure it out on their own.  As the girls got older, they started playing together and "talking" when they should be sleeping.  We tried to intervene but we figured out it was easier and quicker if they worked it out between them.  When the newness wears off, they'll get into their own routines.  My girls now sleep through all each other's "night noises" and adore each other.  They will stay together when we move them to their "big girl room" before DC#3 gets here.  They can't sleep well without each other anymore.  It will work, but you do have to give it time.  The first few nights will be a nightmare and no one will sleep.  You have to expect that and keep going.

cntrygirl

DS#1 is 3yo and DS#2 is 14 months old and they share a room.  They have been sharing since my youngest was around 1.  Things are going well.  DS#2 goes to bed first, in his crib, about an hour before DS#1.  I then put DS#1 to bed, in his big boy bed, and the other sleeps through it.  As my younger one gets older and starts interacting more with my older son, there have been times when I have found them both in the crib.  However, that has only been when they both go to bed at the same time and are wound up.  Also, I can hear them and I go in.  Otherwise, the older one stays put through the night and the younger one sleeps through the night.

 

We are using our third bedroom as a playroom so all toys are in there.  We did not even have to make them share a room, but it is working out great!  Good luck to you, I am sure it will be fine.