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Original poster

Children sharing a bedroom

41 replies

evian · 09/03/2004 22:02

We're thinking of having another baby only thing is we live in a two bedroom house and are planning on staying here (hopfully extending in about 5yrs time)

Does it work with two children sleeping in the same room??

We would keep the baby in with us until it slept through

Are there any of you that wouldn't recomend it???

OP posts:

nutcracker · 09/03/2004 22:04

How old is your child now ???

princesspeahead · 09/03/2004 22:05

I always had my children in separate rooms, and now my 3yo ds has moved himself into my 6yo dd's room and won't move out! They are both v happy with the arrangement. Despite her room being pink and covered in flowers.

I have a lot of friends who have their children in the same room from babyhood, works excellently for them. They seem to be immune to each other at night (eg if baby wakes up looking for food toddler generally doesn't even stir) and they have fun together in the morning which gives parents an extra few minutes in bed. And I think it is really nice for sibling bonding.

Seems only to become a problem when they are a bit older (7? 8?) and start getting territorial and wanting their own space. And not all children do.
Go for it.

roisin · 09/03/2004 22:08

Our age gap is 22 months. They have been in together since ds2 was 6 wks old, (he's almost 5 now). They sleep better together than apart.

Initially they were in together out of necessity, now out of choice.

nutcracker · 09/03/2004 22:08

My dd's have shared a room since dd1 was 3 and dd2 was 1. They don't alweays get on, but surprisingly, when i recently asked them if they would have seperate rooms if they could, they both said NO.

crystaltips · 09/03/2004 22:10

Ive got DS aged 10 and DD aged 8 ... they both have their own rooms .... but they share ... DS's room.
ABout once a fortnight I ask DS whether or not he wants his privacy and that he's entitled to it ... but so far he has not complained ...

Every so often he gets territorial and DD has to respect that and moves out amicably .... as she's fairly certain she'll be allowed back in eventually

When DS has friends around I make sure that all signs of DD have been removed from his room ( toys and books ) so therefore it's fairly calm ...

I think in all fairness - it's good company for them ..
HTH

binkie · 09/03/2004 22:17

Evian, another vote for sharing. We have an 18-month gap & dd (now 3.5) has been in with ds (nearly 5) since she was 4 months - she was in with us till then. They can't conceive of being apart, & because of being together from so young are completely unbothered by each other's nightmares etc. - don't even stir. They play together in the morning now too - can be an hour or even more before they bother us. What might your gap be?

Pacific · 09/03/2004 22:32

Another vote for sharing. DD (8) and DS (7) share a large double bed. I keep trying to separate them but they just creep back together.

suedonim · 09/03/2004 22:39

My niece and nephew were raised in a two bed house and the arrangment seemed to work fine, they are both normal adults now.

Also dsis and I shared a room, as did my two brothers. I loved sharing and was truly devastated when dsis left home when I was 14!

miggy · 09/03/2004 22:41

yes for sharing here too. Ds1 (10) and Ds2 (6) share DS2s single bed from choice. If they have an argument and I separate them, they will always make it up and one of them will come down with a note from the other, begging for them to be allowed back in (which of course I do). DS2 sleeps much better like this but it is ds1s choice to go in with him. If I was doing it again, I would just give them one room between them.

Mo2 · 09/03/2004 22:41

DS1 (4) is desperate to share with DS2 (19 months) but we just haven't done it yet (although plan too).

As he said to me recently.. "It's not fair, Mummy, you have Daddy to cuddle at night, but what warm, live thing to I have??"

Mo2 · 09/03/2004 22:42

whoops - meant "do I have.."

SueW · 09/03/2004 23:39

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at OP's request.

spacemonkey · 09/03/2004 23:42

My dd (12) has only recently moved into her own room - she always wanted to share with ds (10) and he always tolerated her presence. I was starting to worry that she would never want her own space, but it does happen eventually. I'm sure your two will be fine

twiglett · 10/03/2004 06:38

message withdrawn

zebra · 10/03/2004 07:04

This thread is culturally weird to me -- has it just been the norm in Britain for donkey's years that everybody gets their own bedroom? Even when Americans go to University, you usually have to share a dormintory room with at least 1, possibly up to 5 other people!! I seem to encounter a strong attitude in this country that each child should be in their own room from a very young age, and nobody ever shares outside the family. About the only room-sharing that seems to regularly happen in this society is in Youth Hostels.

That said, we have never successfully put our two (age now 2 & 4yo) together. We tried when they were 5-6m & 2yo, but they woke each other up all the time, plus the room was too small for it. I want to try again when we finally get to move house, but don't hold out much hope of it working. The 2yo is still sleeping in a cot next to our bed and I suspect she will be there for at least another 6-12 months.

misdee · 10/03/2004 07:22

my kids have their own bedrooms, but are always wanting to share. i find they both settle down better if the piled into dd2 double bed. dd1 wants dd2 to sleep in her room but i cant risk it with the bunkbeds as dd2 can climb and she is only 18months old.

throckenholt · 10/03/2004 08:05

Our 3 have been in the same room since twins were about 4 months old and ds1 was 22 months. It generally works ok.

Odd thing is that the only room we can get all 3 cotbeds/beds in is the smallest in the house !

handlemecarefully · 10/03/2004 08:14

Mo2 that was such a cute thing for your DS1 to say - ahhhh

emsiewill · 10/03/2004 09:26

The one thing that I wanted when buying our house 5 years ago was the space to have a room each for the girls AND a spare room for visitors, so that no-one would have to be kicked out of their room when relatives come to stay. And guess what? dd1 (7) and dd2 (4) choose to sleep in dd1's room together. Just means we have 2 spare rooms! This may change when we redecorate dd2's room for her birthday in June.

monkey · 10/03/2004 09:52

my boys (17 months apart) had their own room, but had to share on holiday, and on our return, asked to share a room and have been together ever since. They're now 3 & 4, and moved in together I think over a year ago.

Go for it!

Tortington · 10/03/2004 09:55

we have twins boy and girl who even when we put the boys in one room and let girl have her own room her twin always came in to sleep with her - in the boxroom! leaving teenage son the big room all to himself! so even though they are now 11 they have the bog room and teenage son has the boxroom - i just made official what was happening in reality anyway. and i wont change it until either twin says they are uncomfortable.

lydialemon · 10/03/2004 10:11

We have a 2 bedromm flat and 3 kids. DSs have a room and bunkbeds ( they are 28 mths aprt). Apart from lots of chat when they are in bed, theres no problems at all. DH was sharing a bedroom with his brother until his brother went to University (BIL was 20, DH was 24)

throckenholt · 10/03/2004 13:10

my father in law was just saying the other day - he shared a room with his brother (3 years older ?) all his childhood and he hated it.

Also I have 2 sets of nephews who both chose to share rooms rather than have their own room.

dinosaur · 10/03/2004 13:11

My two (now aged four and two) have been sharing a bedroom since last summer - works fine so far.

motherinferior · 10/03/2004 13:21

Mine have shared since dd2 was four months or so, so for four months now. They love it. And NO WAY am I giving up my office as a bedroom.

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