anyone chosen to put their dcs in the same room together even though they could be in separate rooms?

[nowwearefour]

why did you do this? at what age? how is it working out? our dds are 3 and 1 and we would possibly like to put them in together as a fun life experience for them for a few years. but obv a bit concerned re waking each other up (dd2 doesnt settle too well of an evening and dd1 sometimes wakes a bit unhappy in the night). Any advice/thoughts/ experiences???

[iamdingdong]

my twins (4.9) share a bedroom and have a playroom, otherwise its too hard to divide toys fairly plus they keep each other entertained in the mornings! THey don't tend to disturb each other, although DT2 sometimes moans that DT1 wakes her up too early. They did have separate rooms for a few months a year ago, but always ended up in together and bedtime was hard work!

[funnypeculiar]

We are in a three bed house and have just put our two in together so I can have an office junk room.
They are 2.5 & 4.5 and are adoring sharing - there have been occasions when they have woken each other up, but equally, I've been amazed how much they sleep through. And the big benefit for us has been that it seems to have made a real difference to their closeness - may be co-incidence, but we have both noticed how much better they've been playing together/seeking out each others' company.

[MuffinMclay]

We have with a 2yo and a 7mo. Have been doing so for a month or two. I'm still not sure if it is working out or not. They definitely do wake each other up in the morning, but I decided it was a price worth paying to get my spare room back.

[jafina]

my 5.5yo twin boys have shared a room since they were born. We have another spare room and it has been suggested that one of them move out but they want to stay together. They have a great time in the morning and keep each other occupied. They very rarely disturb each other, even if one of them is ill or has wet the bed.

They do go to bed at the same time, will you be doing that with yours??

[Fennel]

We have always had at least 2 of the 3 dds sharing, except for a very brief phase when they had a room each - we do have enough rooms for one each. But they like sharing. The first two dds were together since baby and toddler days, but lately dd1 (8) and dd3 (4) share, and dd2 often joins them or persuades one of them to sleep with her. They all like sleeping with a sister rather than alone.

I find it helps with sleep, they like company, and the older two entertain the youngest in the mornings.

When they were little and sometimes messed around at bedtime we'd just take one out and put them to sleep somewhere else, and put them back when they were all asleep.

[jennifersofia]

My eldest 2 were sharing (aged 7 & 5.5), and we have just moved them apart for the first time. They both go to sleep so much quicker (when together they yak yak yak) but they both feel quite upset at being apart. I do think being together has helped build a real closeness between them. Oddly, they rarely affect the other when one wakes in the night. They did wake each other up in the morning, (though the older one got better about this with lots of reminders) but that is usually around 6-7 anyway so I didn't mind.

[Twiglett]

yes, when DD came out of cot about 2 she went into DS' room (he was 5). He has only now at 7.5 decided that he wants his own room so has moved into his own room .. we still sometimes find them top to tailing sharing one another's beds

[nowwearefour]

yes they do go to bed at the same time so that wouldnt be too much of a problem....

[nowwearefour]

bump

[GobbledigookisThrifty]

Yes, my 3 all share a room even though we have enough bedrooms for everyone! They love it but we absolutely cannot put them together at teh same time. Hence ds3 is in bed now and ds2 and ds1 are still up. In fact ds3 is asleep now I think so time to get ds2 up.....

They are 7, 5, 4

[GobbledigookisThrifty]

They don't wake each other up during the night, even if one is sick or crying for whatever reason. It's only getting them to fall asleep in the first place that's a problem.

[tassisssss]

My 5 year old boy shares with his 2 year old sister and both love it.

We moved them in togehter to make room for out 3rd baby (a girl). My plan was that in due course the 2 wee girls will share and ds could have his own room again. I mentioned this to ds recently and he wasn't impressed! They love sharing.

We go on hol next month to a 4 bed house and were thinking we'd give littlies a room each but I'm not sure they'll be up for that.

[Katisha]

My two boys (8 and 6) have shared a room for a couple of years now. They like it and it helps them get off to sleep as they do a bit of chuntering together and then drop off.

Initially did it as we were having to spend a lot of time with each of them in separate rooms waiting for them to go to sleep as they wouldn't by themselves. It took a short while to get used to it and it has been fine ever since.

They don't wake each other up, even when we have had to march in, lights blazing, to change the bed for DS2 in the middle of the night.

[boogeek]

I'm planning for my two to share once the littlest is old enough to be safe on the stairs in the dark (our spare room is a loft conversion). I don't dare move them until we paint, though, else we will never get around to it! They have shared on holiday and loved it.

[ChirpyGirl]

DD2 went in with DD1 when she was 5 months and DD1 was 2.2(ish)
She still needs a feed a night and DD1 doesn't even twitch 99% of the time I go in, and DD2 doesn't wake up when DD1 has a screaming fit or nightmare.
What I do love is the extra half hour it gets me in the morning when I can listen on the monitor while DD2 reads her a story or hands her books/toys/bottle of water etc

[leoemma]

My ds 3 and dd 1 shared until recently and really liked it, we enough rooms but ds wanted to share with her. Back in seperate rooms now as dd is very loud first thing when ds wants to sleep!

[jimjamshaslefttheyurt]

ds2 (6) and ds3 (3) do. We put them in together when ds3 was about 15 months and started waking in the night. He slept much better in with his brother. They both like it.

[hapsty]

yes, I have. dds are five and (nearly) three and I would like them to be together although hopefully they will be able to have separate rooms in a few years.
it is working out really well imo and the girls love it. we let them play for a bit before bedtime, which is a treat for them
we hope they will start doing the same in the morning, as they both wake up about six
give it a go, I reckon

[docket]

ds is nearly 4 and dd is 2 and they are sharing so that we can have a study. i was worried they would wake each other up / fight but they don't, they really like it. on a couple of occasions when one of them has been ill the other one hasn't woken up either. so far so good!

[NellyTheElephant]

Yes, I thought it would be nice for my DDs to share - I loved sharing with my brother when we were little, we had lots of fun and I was v sad when he wanted to move into his own room aged 8 ish!

I moved DD2 into DD1's room when DD2 was 11 months and DD1 was almost 3. The first night was pretty hellish..... loads of giggling, then jumping up and down, then crying as they got overtired. Finally asleep by about 9.30 and I had a few LARGE glasses of wine wondering if I'd made a mistake. We haven't looked back since then though, the novelty wore off by about night 3. DD2 (who had previously been a bit tricky to settle) became much better as I think the problem had been that she hated being left on her own. They never wake each other up in the night. It's like their brains just tune out from each others crying. DD2 went through a bit of a phase of waking and crying around 5 am when she was around 13 months (having previously slept through since she was tiny), but DD1 didn't wake once, much to my amazement, even when I bit the bullet and decided the only way to break DD2's waking habit was to leave her to cry it out.

The best thing is weekend mornings as we no longer have to get up (well not until 8.30ish anyway - bliss!!). They keep each other amused, DD1 would put toys in DD2's cot and they'd be quite happy fiddling around together. Although, I've just taken the side off DD2's cot so I'm rather dreading what it'll be like now she's free to run around and cause trouble!

[nowwearefour]

ok thanks for the advice on this one. i think we will go for it and perhaps sooner rather than later. we really want to give them the gift of a close relationship and if this will make a difference we want it for them! plus longer til wake up time for us on the weekends would be nice!!!