Siblings sharing a room

[MumNo2]

I have 2 children- a girl aged 3months and a boy aged 20months, so there are 17months between them. They are very young but they already adore each other. Do you think it's okay for them to share a room for the first few years of their life? I appreciate that when they're older that they'll want their privacy and separate rooms though.

Those who have kids sharing a room at a young age, how have you found it? What are the pros and cons?

Definitely okay! Slightly different because they’re both boys, but our two kids share a room (2 1/4 years apart) and they have since the littlest was about 10 months I think. I honestly think it has contributed so much to their closeness. They’re 6 & 8 now and still love sharing a room - both have declined separate ones recently. Only slight downside is the older one sometimes isn’t sleepy by the time the younger one is, but mostly it’s just lovely for them to chat and be together ♥️

Totally fine.

My DDs are close in age and even though they have separate bedrooms, they choose to sleep together in the same bed every night 😄 They're 7 and 6.

Of course. Unfortunately we don’t have the luxury of enough rooms for one each so our two children will share indefinitely. They are the same sex.

ETA: I have two brothers and we shared until I was 7 (family of 5 in a one bed flat). We moved to a bigger house, I got my own room and they shared until they were teens. I’ve honestly never thought sharing a room is odd.

Only on here do people think that sharing a room will traumatise the children. I shared with my brother until I was 13, only stopped sharing because my older brother left home so I got his room.

My eldest two are also sharing. They prefer it. In fact they used to each have a room and still preferred sleeping together.

They don’t have a choice for now. Like a lot of kids, their own room is a luxury. They need to know how lucky they are you. Everyone would be living in a mansion if they could, but that’s not realistic.
if anyone says it’s not ok… are you able to buy a bigger house?

It’s 100% fine

My boy and girl are 19m apart. We put her in with him at 8m when she moved out of our room. They're currently 3y and 4 1/2y and best friends (though they also fight a lot). It makes bedtimes easier when they're in the same space. They've hardly ever woken each other up even when small. They just sleep through the noise. The only con is when one is really sick -- in which case we do pull them out and into the spare bedroom.

We put them in together for company and bonding and to appreciate that it's not just a given you get your own room. We do have 2 extra bedrooms and will prob look at splitting them when the older one is about 6y because we can, they're different genders and they'll have more storage.

Mine are teens (both boys) and still share by, despite having other rooms available to them. Nothing wrong with it! The difference in sex will not be an issue for years.

It’s absolutely fine (until puberty for B/G siblings. That said, whenever my children have shared a room (on holiday, when people come to stay and we need their room), it’s a bloody nightmare. When the baby wakes up it disturbs the other child. When the older one goes to bed it disturbs the baby. I’m always exhausted the next day and I’m sure they are too. Perhaps they become better at sleeping through each others noise if it’s like that every day??

My two shared a room until oldest was 10 and we could move to a bigger house. They are 3 years apart and boy/girl. When we moved they initially shared for a few months while we decorated. DS didn't like the idea of being on his own to start with.

Despite a larger age gap they get on really well most of the time, even as teenagers.

My children loved it. I think that young children find it comforting not being alone when they’re going to sleep.

Yes they do. My kids still share on holiday and they’re 12/8. They shared a room for a few years and I think they still have the benefit from it as they mostly sleep fine while sharing.

It’s a luxury to have a bedroom per person.

Unless they keep each other awake all night it’s much better to share

I think it's better. We chose this for our own children when they were little.

So much nicer IMO for a small child to wake up and have some company. They are teens now and get on brilliantly. I'll never know if that is just luck or if all those early mornings of yabbering away together had a part in that.

Yes I think most of us learn to sleep through "normal for us" noise to some extent. We've changed vomity bed clothes, bathed the child, wiped down walls etc and the other one has slept through.

My youngest two are 22m apart, BG. They have shared since my youngest was 7m old and they’re now 4 and nearly 6.

They share well, none of my children has ever gone to sleep before 8pm anyway and as long as they just stay in their room I don’t really mind if they go to sleep eventually.

We will have to split them in a few years, but I think they will be sad to be separated.

Looking for tips on putting two young kids to bed alone when they share a room.

I have two boys, 2 years 3 months apart (youngest is 19 months). They’ve shared a room since the youngest was 10 months. My eldest is great at bedtime (stories/Toniebox), but my youngest has always struggled to fall asleep and can take up to an hour.

Until now, my partner and I have put them to sleep separately and then moved the youngest into his cot later. This worked, but my partner is now away Sunday–Friday, so I need a way to manage bedtime solo.

Any advice or routines that have worked for others in a similar situation?

My children are 11 and 8 and even though they do have their own bedrooms they much prefer to sleep in the same bedroom and try and find any excuse they can to sleep in the same room as each other 🤣 I think children generally feel very comforted by having someone else in their room with them at night so I wouldn’t worry about it at all OP.

I am happy for them to share a room, I’m just struggling to get them to sleep in it at the same time.
The youngest takes so long to drop
off and everytime I lay him down he screams so I spend a lot of time getting him to sleep and then the eldest gets jealous, he then wants my attention.

@LibbyanneA I would suggest starting your own post on a busier board, maybe chat or parenting. You'll get more replies.

Maybe keep little one in with you as you are settling big one, then settle little one in your room and transfer as normal. Or keep them together as long as you can then put big one in your bed (or in front of TV) as a grown up privilege then extra stories for him and sneak him into their room.

Our oldest was our poor sleeper. We used to put her to bed first, then do little one in our room and carry him though.

Whatever you go with try to keep it consistent for at least 3-4 nights. Don't expect it to go well on day 1, but stick with it and it should improve as they get used to the new system. The measure is how it's going a few days in, not how many hours it takes you first time out.