Toddler (2 & ½) & baby (6 months) started sharing a room about 3 weeks ago. The first night was great but then it went downhill because they both caught colds so spent the nights coughing, waking each other and taking turns to cry. After 3 nights like that, we calpol-ed them both up and left them to it and they both got the hint and after a little bit of whinging, all was quiet for the rest of the night and a few nights after that.
BUT now the toddler has started to shout at the baby whenever it wakes/coughs/snuffles. I had words about this with the toddler, discussing how he is a big boy, he needs to speak gently to his brother and the best way to help his baby bro sleep is to keep quiet. He understood and stopped shouting for 1 night.
The last 4 nights have been crappy. About 4.45am, the baby might have a snuffle (not sure, doesn?t wake me) but is then really woken up by the toddler shouting ?NO!? at him! They then spend from then until 7am sort of dozing but with the toddler shouting at the baby every 20 mins or so. So no more proper sleep for anyone. Up until last night, I had continued speaking with the toddler about being kind and no shouting and had left them to it. But this morning, I cracked at 6am as the toddler was really letting rip and the baby was clearly more distressed. I spoke briefly but very firmly to the toddler and took the baby into our room where he had a bit more kip in the travel cot.
I really don?t want to bring the baby back into our room, he sleeps through when not being yelled at and we don?t have another bedroom.
I want to find a way for them to co-exist at night time as well as they do in the day when they really like each other and toddler doesn?t shout at baby.
Please please let me know what worked with your room sharing siblings!