for the kids that share a room

katie052409 · June 2011

Hey Ladies,

Since DH and I found out we will be having another girl, we have decided to room the two together. My question is, do you recommend putting the cribs along the same wall where the babies cannot see eachother (ie seperated by a changing table or something) or do you recommend situating the cribs so that the babies can see eachother? Im just curious what the pros/cons are. I figure if they can't see eachother then there will be less of a temptation to resist sleep by entertaining one another etc, but then again I worry that my older one may get creative in ways to get to her little sister if she can't see her... Hope this makes sense! Thanks!

UberTroll · June 2011

I have a 9 month old and am due in Sept. Even if they were the same sex, I wouldn't put them in the same room just yet.

The little one is going to be getting up multiple times a night and I would hate for her to wake up any of her siblings. Getting the newborn back to sleep will be much easier than getting my 4 year or 1 year old back to sleep. So, I moved my 9 month old in with his 11 year old brother, 3 year old will have her own room and baby will have her own room, for now.

katie052409 · June 2011

Thanks for your input! I do plan on keeping DD#2 in our room in a bassinet for a month or so, but I would really like to have the girls nursery ready prior to her moving in. My DD#1 slept through the night almost since birth, although I am sure I will not be as lucky with DD#2! Im really not that concerned with right after birth, but I am thinking 6-12 months down the road when I have a 18-24 month old and a 6-12 month old... I just figured I would see if anyone on the board had done this with cribs/beds and what they found worked best.

Gen & Joel · June 2011

i hope you get more input because i'm wondering the same myself. i have a 16 month old who will be 21 months when baby is due. and we just found out it's another boy so wondering what to do as well.

Army~Wife · June 2011

I have 2 girls. DD1 is just shy of 19 months and DD2 is just shy of 4 months. We transitioned DD2 from her bassinet in our room to their room this weekend. We have the cribs on opposite wall facing each other (didn't have a choice due to the layout of the room). So far it is working out wonderfully and everyone has slept thru the night all 4 nights. I am happy to have it this way.

Topi-Jan · June 2011

When to start putting them in the same room is a decision that is based on so many different factors (we tried several times/ways before it finally worked out long term).

However, once they are in the same room, I think facing each other is fine. At some point your older daughter might figure out how to climb out of her crib and monkey over to the other one at that point...which would worry me. Yes, they do entertain each other for too long sometimes, but I love to hear that happen! For us it has also helped with separation anxiety. On the days where DS#2 really wanted someone around, he didn't care if we left the bedroom as long as he could see that DS#1 was around. The older one has also been heard telling his brother "it's okay, mama/baba's coming," go to sleep, or stop crying. :-)

One tip that we learned accidentally (but should have been more obvious maybe?): put the baby's crib closer to the door. Originally we left DS#1's crib on the wall against the door and put the new one across from it. This meant we had to go across the room to get the baby if we woke up in the middle of the night. When we switched them and put the baby closer to the door, DS#2 woke up a lot less when we walked in. We could literally run in, grab the baby and get out to soothe or feed him (or stay in there and rub his back) without his brother noticing we were in the room. This was helpful when DS#1 was getting his 2-year molars and would wake up at the drop of a hat because of teething issues.

katie052409 · June 2011

Topi-Jan:

When to start putting them in the same room is a decision that is based on so many different factors (we tried several times/ways before it finally worked out long term).

However, once they are in the same room, I think facing each other is fine. At some point your older daughter might figure out how to climb out of her crib and monkey over to the other one at that point...which would worry me. Yes, they do entertain each other for too long sometimes, but I love to hear that happen! For us it has also helped with separation anxiety. On the days where DS#2 really wanted someone around, he didn't care if we left the bedroom as long as he could see that DS#1 was around. The older one has also been heard telling his brother "it's okay, mama/baba's coming," go to sleep, or stop crying. :-)

One tip that we learned accidentally (but should have been more obvious maybe?): put the baby's crib closer to the door. Originally we left DS#1's crib on the wall against the door and put the new one across from it. This meant we had to go across the room to get the baby if we woke up in the middle of the night. When we switched them and put the baby closer to the door, DS#2 woke up a lot less when we walked in. We could literally run in, grab the baby and get out to soothe or feed him (or stay in there and rub his back) without his brother noticing we were in the room. This was helpful when DS#1 was getting his 2-year molars and would wake up at the drop of a hat because of teething issues.

Thank you, this was very helpful!

Topi-Jan · June 2011

No problem. I just realized that I meant DS1 woke up a lot less, not DS2!

lilone_06 · June 2011

We have our girls in the same room, on opposit walls, but they can see each other. I just put them down separately, for naps and for sleep at night. (I.e. I make sure DD2 is sound asleep before going back in with DD1, and pray she is quiet and doesn't kick up a fuss to wake her sister.)

I haven't been brave enough to try putting them down both awake, I can only imagine the hell they would raise. I'm sure it's just a matter of time, but I'd like to delay that chaos until I absolutely can't anymore. GL, HTH.

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