Sharing a room? Infant and preschooler

Re: Sharing a room? Infant and preschooler

• n&bcarlson

  September 2011

  I haven't had to do it yet, but DD#1 will be sharing when DD#2 arrives.  My thought is that we might change the bedtime routine a little so pj's get put on in the bathroom and stories get read downstairs in the living room.  That way DD#1 can go to bed later if needed and we'll just turn on the hall light and walk in quietly to get in bed and tuck in.  I also think that once you do it for a bit, the one who is sleeping will get used to it and sleep right through.
  

  

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• kaydee_2008 member

  September 2011

  I would have the room by yours be the sleeping room. Beds, dresser, changing table anything like that, in one room. DS1's old room could be play room so you don't have to worry about toys being put in the crib or anything. I would always have DS1's pjs and anything he might need out of the room before DS2 goes to bed. Tell him you have to be quiet when we go to bed so brother doesn't wake up. I think it would be totally do-able though.

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• hcassell

  September 2011

  DS1 was upstairs (only room upstairs) by himself, but decided a few weeks ago that he was too scared/alone up there.  So we moved his mattress to DS2's room.  Next summer, we'll move them to what is now a play room and move the play room upstairs.  Sometimes DS1 chooses to go to bed early when DS2 does and they'll play (but not get out of bed).  If he goes to bed later, we just tell him he has to be quiet or go back upstairs in his old room.  DS2 is still in a crib. 
  

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• kmhunt11 member

  September 2011

  Wow, this is just the dilema we've been struggling with.  Baby 2 will be here in March, and we only have 2 bedrooms upstairs.  DD1 will be almost 4, but I don't feel comfortable having her all the way downstairs (actually on the 1st floor while our bedroom is on the 3rd...).  I can't sleep with a baby in the room with me (we moved DD to her crib at like 3 weeks), and don't know what we'll do.  Thinking of moving since we rent,  but moving is such a p.i.t.a., even when I'm not pregnant!

  

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• b06.25.05

  September 2011

  Thanks for the tips.  For tonight, I just moved his mattress and will let him know that we are just "testing" this, and it's up to him how long we keep it up...hopefully that will be incentive for him to be quiet and not bother his sleeping brother!  I like the idea of a "sleeping" room and a play room -- I plan to do this for sure. Fingers crossed this works!

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• Ciarrai

  September 2011

  My girls have shared a room since DD#2 was 4 months old and DD#1 was 2.  It works for us.  The first bit of advice I have is to pick your battles and let them work some stuff out on their own.  Don't worry so much about keeping one quiet for the other, but rather "training" the other to sleep through the first's noise.  It'll make your life so much easier.  It takes about a week of really crappy sleeping where everyone wakes up entirely too much before they'll get there, but kids adapt pretty fast.  After the first few days, DD#1 wasn't waking up at all when DD#2 woke up to nurse (usually at 11pm and 4am).  She could sleep right through DD#2 screaming and DD#2 would easily sleep through DD#1's nighttime routine of tucking her in and all the good nights and everything.  (We did move things like reading books and whatnot to our room so it wasn't us in there talking, but otherwise, it was easy enough.)  The girls have some lullabies they listen to every night and always have to fall asleep.  It's about 45 minutes to an hour so it was long enough to put on when DD#2 went to bed and still be going for DD#1 or start it over for her.  Just something to kinda muffle the falling asleep sounds.

  Also I would add that we do not keep any toys in the kids' rooms.  They have stuffed animals and a few books that they can look at or play with in bed, but no other toys so the girls aren't likely to stay up all night playing.  We did have trouble when we first moved DD#2 to a bed and DD#1 was basically done with naps.  I'd find the girls in there with all the clothes taken out of their drawers since they were "having a party" and needed to dress up the stuffed animals.  DD#2 was always a bad napper so I soon just gave up on naps.  Even without toys, my girls will find a way to play together.
  

  Otherwise, go for it and they'll love it.  My girls are best friends and have always been extremely close.  I get comments on how well they play together and how much they adore each other all the time and part of it is sharing a room. 

   

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• Max'smom member

  September 2011

  kaydee_2008:

  I would have the room by yours be the sleeping room. Beds, dresser, changing table anything like that, in one room. DS1's old room could be play room so you don't have to worry about toys being put in the crib or anything. I would always have DS1's pjs and anything he might need out of the room before DS2 goes to bed. Tell him you have to be quiet when we go to bed so brother doesn't wake up. I think it would be totally do-able though.

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