Tips for moving littles into the same room

muybueno · April 2016

Any tips on moving young kids into the same room together? Before this baby comes, we need to move our toddler out of the nursery into our preschooler's room. They will be 2 and 3.75 at the time we move them in together. They are generally great sleepers but have obviously never shared a room.

Tips?

shevaCC · April 2016

I'm in a similar boat...though I need to move DS out of our room and into his sister's room. We haven't figured out exactly our plan other than getting some low bunk beds and redecorating to make it both of theirs.

I do have several friends who have kids that share rooms and said that it actually works really well. So I'm holding out hope that this will be one of those easy transitions. We shall see, lol.

muybueno · April 2016

shevaCC said:

I'm in a similar boat...though I need to move DS out of our room and into his sister's room. We haven't figured out exactly our plan other than getting some low bunk beds and redecorating to make it both of theirs.

I do have several friends who have kids that share rooms and said that it actually works really well. So I'm holding out hope that this will be one of those easy transitions. We shall see, lol.

About how old will yours be? Maybe since DS has been rooming with y'all, it won't be as big of a leap to room with his sister?

I'm picturing my boys being super hyper about the fact that someone else is in the room, and their FUN BROTHER! no less. I have visions of the normal quiet bedtime routine devolving into pillow fights...

Greencows4812 · April 2016

We are moving our 1.5 yr old in with his 3 yr old brother in June and I'm nervous. I keep picturing the same scenario @muybueno! I'm hoping that it'll be an easy transition but we will see. I have friends hat have siblings sharing a room and it works well but I just don't know that my kids will cooperate lol

muybueno · April 2016

OK, let's start picking our friends' brains. I have a friend who said she's going to try having her 2 and 3.5 yr olds listen to books on tape to go to sleep, so they are both concentrating on something other than each other, and so they lie still. That would be a weird transition for my boys because we basically create sleeping caves for them- blackout curtains, sound machines, no toys, no light, etc. But it might be something to try!

shevaCC · April 2016

muybueno said:

shevaCC said:

I'm in a similar boat...though I need to move DS out of our room and into his sister's room. We haven't figured out exactly our plan other than getting some low bunk beds and redecorating to make it both of theirs.

I do have several friends who have kids that share rooms and said that it actually works really well. So I'm holding out hope that this will be one of those easy transitions. We shall see, lol.

About how old will yours be? Maybe since DS has been rooming with y'all, it won't be as big of a leap to room with his sister?

I'm picturing my boys being super hyper about the fact that someone else is in the room, and their FUN BROTHER! no less. I have visions of the normal quiet bedtime routine devolving into pillow fights...

DS is turning 2 this August, DD will be 4 in a few weeks. So slightly further apart than your boys. One suggestion I've heard is putting the little to bed first then bringing in the big, but mine have the same bedtime and my little is my lighter sleeper. If they're staying in their beds and not bothering each other, I might consider letting them giggle, as long as it didn't go on all night.

fiscally3 · April 2016

I think making the room special is a big step, we've really never had a problem at bedtime, they read a story with DH, and generally go to bed afterwards, all 3 kids have the same bedtime, only 2 share. I do stagger naps, since my two year old tends fight them. I have been letting him nap in my room, but I've been so tired I want a nap in my bed.

MrsBigTime · April 2016

I will also need to eventually put the two kiddos together (babe will be in our room for 6+ months - or at least that's the plan), so my thoughts on the matter are speculation!

I have had a fair share of sleepovers at our house, and they have all gone surprisingly well!

The first positive experience was with two two year olds (both of whom were used to their own quiet rooms!) and I just explained that it was time for sleeping and NOT talking or playing. I let them play and play during the day, but my whole demeanor changed at bedtime. I prepped both girls and probably said "sleeping only!" 100 times, but it worked! They were both excited to sleep in the same room, but both slept all night!

I've done the same thing a handful of other times, including once with three girls, ages 3, 2 and 5! I had some giggling that night, but I gently but firmly reminded them that it was time for bed and (thankfully!) they all complied for the whole week I had the three of them!

Truth be told, I could have just gotten super lucky, but I've had three separate sets of friends kids stay with us (and they have all been girls, maybe that helps??) and it's all pretty much been the same.

The hardest part was having one super early riser, who took it as her duty to wake up the other two later risers, but, each kid is different and there are options to help keep bigger kids quiet while the little ones sleep - it just depends on what works for your family.

My mantra, as I am also kind of freaking out at the thought of having two kids in the same room every night (!!!) is: kids share all the time, we'll be fine!!!

Gotta fake that confidence until it becomes real!

MollySm · April 2016

We are going to move our almost 2 year old in with her 4 year old sister at some point. Right now our plan is to loft our 4 year old's bed, so we can decide to put a bed or a crib under it. Once she's used to it, then we'll move sister in. I would like to put the little one to bed early, then the big one, but recently the little one has been rolling around, talking in bed for like an hour before falling asleep. I'm worried it will keep the big one up too late. I guess I'll see how they are sleeping once we get closer to time.

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