About sleeping arrangements on family holiday?

[PurpleMac]

Will try to keep this simple!

Large holiday home booked for a week. three double bedrooms, one twin bedroom, one travel cot.

Originally there would have been one childless couple, then two couples who each have an 8yo and 2yo. Plan was for the 8yos to share a room, then we would bring an extra travel cot so the 2yos each have one and sleep in their parents rooms.

However one of the couple's has now split up, meaning the 8yo stepchild is also not coming.

So we have three doubles:

1. couple with no children
2. DH and I
3. single adult (let's call him Alex)

There's also a twin bedroom that our DS(8) will sleep in.

There's now some conflict over where both of the 2yos will sleep. Both have had a growth spurt in recent weeks and are too long to fit comfortably in travelcots. The other 2yo is bigger and older than our 2yo and has started sleeping in a bed at home, our 2yo is still in his cot but we are taking the side down this week. Holiday is in a month.

Both Alex and the other couple think that Alex's son should share the twin room with our DS(8) and we put DS(2) in with us in a Travel cot he won't be comfortable in. DH and I think our DS(2) should share the twin with DS(8), whilst the other 2yo can sleep in the double bed with his dad for the week.

There are two reasons for this:
Firstly, DS(2) won't be comfortable in the Travel cot and will end up coming in with DH and I anyway, meaning three of us in a double bed whilst Alex gets a double to himself every night.
Secondly, Alex's 2yo son is a bad sleeper. Wakes up at 5am every morning, and absolutely adores our DS(8) so if they are sharing a room together he will absolutely wake our DS up every morning wanting to play. He's a young 2 and won't really understand/remember if he is told the night before not to do this. Both of our DSs sleep through til 7 so wouldn't be an issue if they share, and if our younger DS did wake up early I would hear him and go get him- I'm not confident Alex would do this with his son and not sure DS(8) would be comfortable enough going to wake Alex up to let him know his son is awake.

Totally willing to hear IABU or precious if that is the case, it just doesn't seem fair to me.

Alex and his 2yo in twin.

Your sons in a double but ask for extra pillows to put down the middle of the bed as a barrier.

Or:

Alex shares twin room with your 8yo, the two toddlers go in a double together ...

Your 8yo and 2yo go in the double.

Alex and his 2yo take the twin beds.

AD yep he's my brother, wasn't a marriage but an on/off relationship with the mother of his child that ended 6 months ago. Not minimising, he is definitely still hurt about it and about not seeing his child every day. He's had a hard time lately so I'll do whatever I can to make it easier. It's just that we've had a hard time too, as have my two boys, and we dont seem to get concessions made for us by my family because I'm seen as the "grown up" one despite being 5 years younger than my brother! As in "Purple has her shit together, she can handle whatever life throws at her" whereas my brother does get babied a bit. But I'm a big girl, so I'll pull up my big girl knickers and deal with it.

Blimey, not sure why the OP is getting such a hard time. She sounds completely reasonable and her suggestions of solutions seem sensible.

Gosh OP we have a similar sounding holiday every year and wouldn't dream of putting our 2 year old in with his 8 year old cousin! 2 year old stays in our room or in another room if space (which there luckily was this year) and cousin stays with his 5 year old sibling. Until my child sleeps reliably I won't be imposing on his cousins! You sound lovely. I reckon I'd put both 2 year olds in with their parents and 8 year old on own.

Buy two readybeds - one for your own 2 year old and one for your brother's. They do characters so choose one they will like (we have the gruffalo). Ours still comfortably fits our (admittedly small) 3.5 year old. My ten month old has also slept in it while camping. They're ace.

If you think he will get his way then, as you said before see how it goes, but if your 8 year old doesn't get any sleep the 2 year old will have to share with his dad. Just be firm and say no. If you don't get any support from your parents and have to deal with an exhasted 8 year old you can always just take the 2 year old out the room and put him in with his dad. After dealing with a woken child he might find it easier to keep him in his room.

Beetlegum the OP is probably ignoring your suggestions for her and her husband to co-sleep with a child each because she made that suggestion herself several pages ago.

Can’t believe this thread is now five pages long and posters are still piping up with “why not get a blow-up bed?”

One other thing to think about: your youngest hasn't actually moved out of his cot yet, you say he's a wriggler, and he's going to be put in a full height adult bed? If I were you I'd put some cushions on the floor on his side!!

Or let him sleep between you and DH ;)

I'd do it your way, that way everyone gets a bed, including your son who deserves one just as much as everyone else! Their way is just... Stupid!

OK any kid who is up in the night 3 or 4 times either needs their own room (not available on this holiday) or needs to be in with their own parent. No other child should be sharing in that circumstance. So Alex's 2yo must be in with Alex, no question.