To share or not to share

[PrincessWatermelon]

My DD's are 3.5 and 16mo. Currently they are in separate rooms, with the oldest in a good size room and the youngest in a box room. When the littlie outgrows her cot, I'm debating whether sharing a room (bunkbeds) would be a good idea or not.

So could I hear experiences of sharing please? Both good and bad!

My DS1 (3.7) and DS2 (23 months) have been sharing for a couple of months. Before that, DS2 was till in our room. They're sharing our box room until we clear the bigger spare room for them to share.

DS1 is in a loft bed over the cotbed (which has the side up) that DS2 is in. They love sharing.

They can mess about and chat a bit at bedtime, but it's a lot better than it was and they are usually asleep within about half an hour (was an hour or so to start with). We've found that if DS1 needs a daytime nap, we have to put him in our room as he fights naps, but sometimes needs them as he's clearly overtired, and if we put him in with DS2 neither of them will nap as they'll just mess about.

Wouldn't change it for the world - I love listening to them chatter on the monitor and whilst they get up to some right mischief, I think they love being together and it's good for them. Even when DS2 has been really crying and screaming in the night when unwell or teething, DS1 has slept through it. The only downside of having them both in the boxroom is that there isn't room for either of us to sleep on the floor in there if they need us, so if necessary we have to bring one in with us but it's only happened for a few nights when DS2 was ill with a virus and not sleeping at all. That won't be a problem in a bigger room though.

My ds have shared since they was 3.5 and 11m they've been fine and still share now at 8 and almost 6

Thanks, good to hear. They get on well and I'm leaning on doing it as I think they'll enjoy it and benefit from it. But I worry that they'd rather just have their own space. I hadn't thought about the nap situation. DD1 doesn't nap, but it means she can't be in her room whilst DD2 has hers.

Has anyone regretted children sharing?

Can the small room now be turned into a tv/play room so Dc1 can go in if dc2 is asleep also gives them the opportunity to both have some space if they need it

That is a very good idea!!!