Siblings for beginners

[spareusername]

I'm an only child. I have dss age 6 and ds age 5 who have been close since birth and a bit like having twins half the time. Dd is nearly 2 and starting to want to play with the big boys and not be fobbed off with a toy they give her.

Just wondering what rules other parents put in place about playing in each other's rooms, refusing to play with siblings, etc. Ds likes alone time and wants to go to his room and not let others in for a couple hours, which sounds reasonable to me, especially as he usually welcomes dss in there, but DH (of large family) thinks dd should be allowed in.

I think a mix of playing and alone time is essential for siblings (speaking as one of three!).

I think all children need some 'me time' especially from younger siblings :-) I'm the youngest of 5 years old and while I don't recall my years as a 2 year old, in our house you definitely had to knock on your brother/sisters bedroom door before going in, there was no automatic right of access just because I was younger (and 2 year olds can be a PIA to a 5 year old).

In addition, some children will need more 'me time' than others and you need to respect that.