To consider three children sharing one room?

[TabbyTigger]

Our current home has 4 bedrooms.

DS is 18 and at University, lives there but comes home to stay overnight probably once a month, plus being home at holidays. He has the tiny box room and always has done.

The attic has two big rooms. Currently one is shared by DD1 (13, nearly 14) and DD2 (12), and the other by DD3 (5) and DD4 (2). The fourth bedroom is obviously ours.

DD5 is due in two weeks (eek!) and I can’t stop thinking about what we’ll do when she’s bigger. Currently, the most viable option seems to be to put her in with DD3 and 4, say when they’re 6, 3, and 1. But the room isn’t huge, so would have to be bunk bed and regular bed (currently it’s just bunk bed), and then have very little space for much other than dresser. WIBU to squeeze the three of them in together for two years, just until DS no longer needs his room? (Then DD3 can move in there, and we’ll be back to just 2 sharing each bigger room). Or should I just take a deep breath in and accept that a move is inevitable? I love this house and where it is so really don’t want to move. I’m probably just overthinking and worrying, I just cant stop wondering about how new baby is going to change our lives!!

oops
Fewer.

Bad parenting. As if. What rubbish.

Op get a triple bunk bed. Kids are fine sharing and it's only temporary. By the time youngest starts school she can probably have the tiny bedroom although that depends on ds - my db didn't move out until he was 30.

I was good friends with a guy in high school who shared with his two brothers and it was a nightmare for him. They were 4 years and 7 years younger than him, they had different routines, different bedtimes, different interests... he could never relax in his own space because he had a little kid running around in it.

I think if you can move, you should.

Oh well if you are bad for having 6 kids in a 4 bed house I'm worse... Expecting no.6 and have a 3 bed house, 3 girls currently share and it will be 4 girls in one room eventually as youngest dd is still in with us and will be for a while after ds2 is born before moving to the girls room. We have zero intention of moving and will be building a triple bunk (adding a curtain to each level and prob the oldest will get her own tv under there too, and then adding a toddler bed when dd4 moves in there.

On what planet is sharing a room to sleep in detrimental? I shared with my 3 sisters growing up and was just fine. Get a fucking grip people.

YABVVVVVVVVVU posting this is here TabbyTigger!

What were you thinking?

Larger families is where this post belongs, surely. You wouldn't get all the judgey-pant parents who think anymore than 1 or 2 DCs is a crime against humanity wagging their fingers on there.

Disclosure - I'm not saying that all parents of 1/2 DC are judgmental, just that some are, on this thread! And it's tongue in cheek anyway, before I get flamed!!!!

Oh, and IMHO, keep the baby in your room for a while longer, I think.

I had 3 in one room for a while, aged 1, 3 & 5.

It wasn't ideal but manageable.

Looking back though, it probably would've been better all round it I'd not done that!

I realise that now Arsenal - where do I find large families, just for future posts referencing my 5 (soon 6) children?
And I’ll be trying to keep DD in our room as long as possible - we just don’t have enough room in our bedroom (it’s slightly smaller than the two attic rooms) for her to stay until she’s 2.5/3/4 (which’ll be when DD3 can move into DS’s room). We don’t have room for her to have more than a small basket of her own stuff in here and for a proper bed!

They were 4 years and 7 years younger than him, they had different routines, different bedtimes, different interests... he could never relax in his own space because he had a little kid running around in it.

This would only be a temporary arrangement (and there’s only 5 and a half years from oldest to youngest - 3 years 5 months between DD3 and DD4 and 2 years 1 month between DD4 and DD5). When they’re older they’ll all be able to have their own rooms if they want to because their older siblings will (most likely) have moved out by then. It’ll just be from when they’re 6, 3, and 18 months until they’re 8, 5, and 3. Then 8 year old DD will have her own room (assuming she wants it) and 5 and 3 year old share.

We also have the outdoor space (we call it “the fancy shed” or artsy room) if anyone ever needs space/peace and quiet. I’d like to keep it that way so that it’s available for anyone. And they mostly play/read/watch tv downstairs anyway so are only really in their rooms just before bed.

I also feel if we move we’ll end up with too much space in a few years and have sacrificed our perfect location/house. We’ve made this one exactly perfect so I’m reluctant to move unless it really feels like a squeeze and the girls hate sharing, but I’ll only know that once DD5 comes along.

I also feel if we move we’ll end up with too much space in a few years and have sacrificed our perfect location/house

This would stop me moving unless it actually became an issue.

You are happy with your house, there are ways to make some more adaptations - just see how it goes. There is nothing wrong with sharing bedrooms.

I wouldn't move either - it sounds like the timing is great in that by the time they might feel like they'll need it, they will all be able to have more room, anyway.

Larger families - click on talk under mumsnet, then being a parent on the left hand side. When you've done that, larger families is on the right hand side.

I seriously don’t understand the replies on this thread. We have five bedrooms, but all our three kids share. They love it. We have a guest room, our room and a play room. What’s wrong with them sharing???

You sound like a lovely family. Ignore the nasty comments.

Thank you Arsenal! I’m still learning how to navigate.

And thank you Unicorn!

boopsy I’m not giving away my eldest’s room until he leaves home, and (as explained upthread) he is unlikely to move back for long after university as, financially, he’s ready to rent and continue saving or may even be ready to put down a deposit at that time.