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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to make my kids share a bed for a few years?

67 replies

ZeldaUpNorth · 27/07/2012 13:49

Adds 2 and 3 currently share a room. All the bedrooms in this house are pretty small. I have bunkbeds but because they are only 4 and 2 can't put them in the top bunk for a while. They currently have a single bed (dd2) and toddler bed (dd3) but there is hardly any room for them to play. So I was thinking of getting rid of toddler bed and them sharing the single (1 at top, 1 at bottom) so they have more room. Has anyone done this? Would you do it? Or any other suggestions on what I can do?

OP posts:
alphabite · 27/07/2012 13:52

Can they play downstairs?

WorraLiberty · 27/07/2012 13:53

I'd keep the bedrooms for sleeping in as comfortably as possible and let them play in the rest of the house.

I shared a box room with my sister and all you could get in there were 2 single beds and a wardrobe.

We never felt the need to play in our room...it was just for sleeping in.

Trills · 27/07/2012 13:57

If you can get two single beds into a room then it's not a "box room" IMO.

I agree with Worra that sleeping and having your own bed is important.

whatthewhatthebleep · 27/07/2012 13:58

could you move rooms and give them the larger room? That's what I did....I'm only sleeping in my room so don't need the space as much as kids do for toys and playing, etc

You could find a roll out/zed bed type thing which could be put under the 1 bed during the day (made up and ready to go)and just roll it out at night...giving each a bed. At this young age too the mattress is more than supportive too. You could use the mattress from the top bunk to do this maybe?

bogeyface · 27/07/2012 13:59

Trills the definition of box room has changed over the years. You could get two beds into the box room of our old house in the 70's but when my friend bought what was designed to be a new version of that, she couldnt even get a single full length bed in there!

OP, bedrooms are for sleep. We dont have toys upstairs at all, they play downstairs.

IwishIwasmoreorganised · 27/07/2012 13:59

YABU. They need a bed each IMO.

Playing can happen elsewhere.

bogeyface · 27/07/2012 14:00

Oh and actually, the 4 year old would probably be fine on the top bunk ......dons flameproof suit for accusations of playing fast and loose with child safety.....

Trills · 27/07/2012 14:01

My parents house is about 300 years old - the 3rd bedroom (my room) was approximately the length of a bed square. So I wouldn't say it's a modern thing.

Maybe "the box room" is used just for "the smallest bedroom", but I think of it as being one that is particularly small.

WorraLiberty · 27/07/2012 14:02

I don't know Trills?

They were side by side and you couldn't have got a bit of tissue between them.

Either way, there was no room for playing.

Trills · 27/07/2012 14:04

Sorry, I'm not sure why we are playing the Call that a boxroom? In my day we slept in an actual box game. It's my fault :o

nannyl · 27/07/2012 14:04

I dont see anything wrong with them sharing a single bed

OR with the oldest going on the top bunk (if she is more of a nearly 5 year old)

Do what suits you and your family Smile

BreastmilkDoesAFabLatte · 27/07/2012 14:06

Across the world siblings share beds right through childhood ... YANBU

Original poster
ZeldaUpNorth · 27/07/2012 14:07

Hmmm yeah I thought not. They can(and do) play downstairs but sometimes I like them to go play elsewhere lol. Also because of the toddler bed their bookcase no longer fits in their room so is cluttering our room up.

The layout of their room means its really difficult to fit a double bed in with wardrobe and drawers and still be able to get the door open/shut. We tried a few years back but had to put it all back again. Its strange as next doors rooms are much bigger than mine.

I was thinking of looking into those guest beds that fold under the bed but then where will I put all their crap toys that are stored under there? Lol.

OP posts:
honeytea · 27/07/2012 14:07

I don't think it would be a problem, a full size singel bed is big enough for a 4 and 2 year old, it sounds cosy!

CinnabarRed · 27/07/2012 14:12

I always let my 4 year old sleep on the top bunk when we're on holiday. Wouldn't hesitate to do the same at home if we had bunk beds here.

pregnantpause · 27/07/2012 14:15

I'm on the fence- can't see anything wrong with them sharing a bed but I would worry about sickness. Currently if one vomits in the night you have to get that one up and change the bed, whereas with 2 in a bed that involves getting both up one ill the other moaning about being covered in the others sick- it'd be a nightmare ( can you tell my family has just got over a d and v bug?)

PassTheBaileys · 27/07/2012 14:18

My 5 and 4 year old have bunk beds, they both sleep in the bottom one together 90 percent of the time.

wishiwasonholiday · 27/07/2012 14:18

I would put them in bunk beds my ds has been in them since he was about 3 but ds aged 2 knows he's not allowed on the top.

shuckleberryfinn · 27/07/2012 14:18

Would they like sleeping together? my 8 year old loves snuggling up to his toddler sister. I also quite like snuggling up to someone else.

If they would be happy to share let them, if not don't.

Original poster
ZeldaUpNorth · 27/07/2012 14:19

Nah, she's just gone 4, don't think I'd trust her just yet, plus I think the 2 year old monkey would climb up too.

OP posts:
LaQueen · 27/07/2012 14:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MrsTittleMouse · 27/07/2012 14:23

I would also check what they want, but I reckon that it will change as they get older. It's very important to my 5 year old that she has her own bed. It's the only private space that she has in the whole house and she really values it.

Inneedofbrandy · 27/07/2012 14:27

ZeldaUpNorth bunkbeds will be fine same as as yours mine were in bunk beds. My son used to climb up but could never get down so I left him up there for a while stuck and he never climbed up again. But then im a evil chavvy child abuser according to MN.

Inneedofbrandy · 27/07/2012 14:27

Same ages as yours, urgh I need to start proof reading

holyfishnets · 27/07/2012 14:33

I wouldn't want my 4 year old on a bunk bed but a 5 year old would be ok. not long to go.