To want the children to share a bed?

[GreenIsTheWord]

DH and I are having a disagreement atm.

We have three dc, ds's aged 7 and 5 and dd aged 2. We're currently in a two bedroom house, and the dc share the largest room. Ds1 and ds2 have bunk beds, and dd has a toddler bed.

Dd is very big for 2 and has pretty much outgrown the toddler bed, so we need to now move her up to a 'standard' sized bed.
A standard single will take up a lot more space than her tiny toddler bed. The ds's bunks are in a kind of alcove in the room, meaning they fit in and then there is about 4 foot of space before the room 'begins' iyswim.

Rather than getting dd a single bed and taking up space that could otherwise be used by them, i would like to get bunk beds with a single on top and a double on the bottom. They would still fit into the alcove meaning no bedroom space would be lost (and with the toddler bed being removed would actually be gaining space). Due to dd's age I wouldn't want her on the top, so it would be ds1 (7) on top and ds2 (5) and dd (2) sharing the double.

I will add that this will only be for a maximum of two years. We have an investment maturing in December 2015 and will then be buying a bigger house, 3 bed min, so the dc will probably all have their own rooms.

DH thinks it's an awful idea, that a child should have their own bed, particularly as it would be girl/boy sharing. He's embarrassed about people 'finding out' that they share a bed and thinking we're poor/neglectful in not giving them their own beds

For me, I think the additional space in the bedroom will be more than worth it. At ages 5 and 2 (up until ages 7 and 4) I think it's fine for them to share as they're not of an age where they need 'privacy' as such - obviously if they were 15 and 12 I wouldn't consider it! Often I wake to find that dd has squeezed into bed with ds2 during the night anyway, and I think they'd actually be thrilled with the idea.

AIBU?

This a great cute space saving bed

How about 2 high sleepers side to side with a normal bed under.

OP, you can get triple bunk beds, I used to clean in a house where they had a set, I had a quick look and there's 1 on amazon for £300, not the most attractive but would do the job if dh isn't budging on the sharing idea.

I don't see a problem with ds and dd sharing for a couple of years.

Yes, Jinty thinking about it dc3 was almost 5yrs when she moved out of her toddler bed (cot bed with sides off) into a single, and she was pretty tall for her age.

Forget that the one this fence found is better.

Yes, YABU. Your dh is right on this.
I opened the thread, assuming you meant for a week's holiday, or when you had overnight guests, in which case I was going to say fine, but, in this day and age, you can't have children not having their own bed on a long term basis.
Those L shaped triples look cool - and would be great for a holiday, but I think being attached like that will give it's own problems in terms of different bed times, dc getting up in the night for the toilet, dc being ill in the night, etc. I'd do my utmost to let them have either a single bed each or a bunk and a single.
Have to agree with Jinty though about there usually being plenty of room in a toddler bed. My nephew is 3 and always been 95th centile on the charts, and he still fits comfortably in his.

My DDs shared a double bed for 2 or 3 years, through choice. They've now gone into their own rooms, again through choice.

Nothing wrong with young siblings sharing, though I like the idea of a triple bunk.

I am seriously loving that set up of 4 beds built into the wall I wuld have loved that when I was a kid.

The Dorset pine bed company do all sorts of triple bunk configurations.

I have x3 DC's of similar ages, I would rather eat my own head than have any of them sharing a bed!

A couple of weeks ago each DC was sick in the night, one after the other! Then DH got up to be sick (so that removed the possibility of anyone coming to sleep in our bed...plus once there is a sick bug going I don't want any DC's in my bed anyway in case they are sick on me). The only thing that made it just about cope-able-with was the fact that while one DC's was being sick the other 2 were asleep.

The bunks also come in 2'6 widths too, they also do very basic so as bunk beds go, fairly cheap. I remember friends having 2'6 beds right up until they left home at 18-20.

I am loving the triple bunks! I want some!!!!

OP YANBU in my opinion, but then I'm from India where kids bunking down together is the norm. At age 7 and 4 I think it's fine. I agree on the separate duvet thing though. I imagine the older one will feel left out and probably find their way in there too!

I shared a double bed with my twin brother (I am female) for at least 2 years from the ages of about 4 till about 6. didn't bother either of us one bit.
I only remember him being ill once when we were sharing the bed. he managed to face away from me when he was being sick, but that meant it went all down the back of the radiator next to the bed! I think my mum might have preferred it if it had gone all over me!!!

then we got bunk beds but were still in the same room (through choice) until we got to about 11.

I'd be fine with the bed sharing IF both were happy with it.

The triples look cool. A cheaper option might be an ikea toddler bed which is a bit longer than the standard. DS has just outgrown his at 5.4, I just can't see how any 2yo now could outgrow by next Dec.

I think it's ok, but I have a nasty feeling that someone would shop you to the school or SS or whatever, and that they WOULD NOT APPROVE.

Just how big is your two year old?! I've had both my boys in their cotbeds as beds quite comfortably until they were 5yo's. Surely she can't need a full size single for space/weight reasons - she's two!

I know lots of children who share, from a mix of communities (none white mc though). I don't think SS or school would care or think it was odd.

If DH isn't onboard I would go for a trundle bed.

Cotbeds/toddler beds have a 140cm mattress, my DS slept in one till he was 4 and only moved out as we wanted more floor space *and there was already a standard single in his room. How big is your 2 year old she has outgrown it ? DS was still in his cot at 2

If its only for a couple of years I would manage...

I won't to say no but do you know what my kids share all the time, my oldest are very close 18 months apart (9/10)and last year we gave oldest her own room like she wanted, she wouldn't sleep in there without her sister! Now they are back shsring and have two single beds yet they sleep in one together every night! I quite often find my youngest 6 in there to so 3 in a single bed

They could top and tail in the double? They're both little and won't fill a whole double bed up, and this leaves more space to get out of bed and wiggle around than them being beside eachother.

There is absolutely no reason why they couldn't share a double, especially since it's only temporary. They're siblings, they're small, it's not weird. There's nothing for people to 'find out.' Your house is a bit small and this is a way for all your DC to fit in it. I know I'd rather leave them more room to play, personally, than cram their room with beds.

must be a very small toddler bed as my just below average six year old
still fits in his cot bed with room

Triple bunk bed! There are 4 of us girls, we all lived with mum and dad in a two bed flat until I was 10. We had a triple decker bunk bed and a futon and took it in turns, it was perfect and we had so much play space.

This was me and my sisters

my little sister had a bed that used go up to the wall. so our bedroom was playroom in day time.