Can someone talk to me about room sharing?

[KitKat1985]

Hi. I'm a little ahead of myself here but would appreciate your advice and opinions. DD2 due in about 3 months time when DD1 will be 2. We only have a 2-bedroomed house so eventually (once DD2 is sleeping reasonably well so she's not disturbing DD1 all night) they will need to share a room. So I guess what I've been thinking is:

1. Space. DD1 is in a cot-bed. I'm not sure logistically we can fit two cot-beds in the room (though DH thinks we might just be able to do it with a bit of moving around of stuff). I've also seen these but they are nearly £600 (ouch)! www.amazon.co.uk/Bunk-Cot-Company-Bunkcot-Beech/dp/B0080C8BJW/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1471869241&sr=8-1&keywords=bunk+cots Obviously they will both be too young for regular bunk beds. How did you make it work for your kids in terms of space and fitting two cot-beds in?
2. Night-time routines. Do you take both children to bed at the same time? Are they going to keep each other awake for hours?

I'm sure there's lots more issues as well that I haven't even thought of yet. Basically I'd appreciate all practical advice!

Watching as have 2 dd under 2 and planning on doing room sharing - when dd2 starts sleeping through a bit (which at this rate will be when she is 4 or something, though hoping it'll be nearer 12 months ).

Works like a dream for me. DS is 3, DD is 6 months and they share. Can't advise on the furniture issues as DS is in a bed and DD is obviously still in a bit, and they both fit.

In terms of bedtime, I bathe them together, give DD her last feed while DS has his stories and then lie them both down in their beds.

If DD refuses to sleep (which happens 50% of the time) I take her back downstairs til she drops off in my arms, then pop her back in her cot.

Still in a cot, not a bit!

Ours are 16 months apart, we moved them in together when the youngest was 6 months. They always went.to bed at the same time, but both were already quite good at self settling. Evenings and nights they don't often wake each other even if one crys, although as they get older and wake less often they are more likely to wake the other.
At first we had both in travel cots but now have two.single beds (although the youngest is mostly.still in a cot.). There is no other furniture in the room. Tbh if things were even more cramped I'd prob either have two cot mattresses or one single and them share. They shared a travel.cot some nights on holiday quite happily (there was another bed).
We have their clothes ina dresser in the living room as that's where we had space.

I only have 1, but had 2 brothers with whom I shared a room for years. We had bunk beds and a cot, replaced by a proper bed eventually when my younger bro was big enough. Separating us due to different sexes happened when I was about 10, older bro 11/12, younger bro 8. They boys continued to share for a few more years.

We all had the same bedtime until my elder bro was 8ish but that wan't cast in stone as most of the time we were treated collectively, ie all the children (and we always had a lot of people either living with us or staying for protacted periods, often with their own children). So bedtimes tended to apply to the lot ofus - sometimes as many as 8 children with ages from 4 to 12.

Bathime happened long before bedtime, in shifts. 'Bedtime snacks' - boiled egg or cheese and crackers - a bit of downtime in the garden or quietly in the sitting room with the adults. Bedtime stories read without fail every night by mum. We took it in turns to choose.

Could you swap rooms, when the time comes? Have the 2 children in your room and you and dh go in the other room? Or maybe even turn the sitting room into a bedroom and use one of the berooms as a temporary sittingroom, until you can afford to move?

We had 2 under 2 they've shared since DC2 was about 10 months, until then he was in with us in a bedside cot. It's been honestly fine, they know no different really and sleep through each other waking due to nightmares etc, think They are just used to it. They also play in the mornings giving me a few extra minutes! They both go to bed at the same time at the moment as DC1 (who is 4.10) gets tired before DC2 (3.2). I imagine later we'll need to change this but at the moment it's fine. Bedtime routine happens together. Eventually we'll convert our loft to make a 3rd bedroom as they are different genders but it's working great for us so not in a rush really. DC1 has an ikea mid sleeper bed so toys are stored under this but it isn't as high as a proper bunkbed, and DC2 has a toddler bed.

DC 2.6 and Dc 12 months share.

We do bedtime separately so baby to bed at 7.30 into cot, and left to settle, then older one to bed 15 minutes later, sometimes baby stands up and tries to play/chat but DC2.6 just lies down and goes to sleep, baby is then laid down and door shut until the morning.

It's reassuring that you are not all saying it's a nightmare! I guess I'm worried DD1 will be an absolute monkey going to sleep as she at the moment refuses to settle unless she is on her own. I guess she would get used to it though.

Well why not settle DD1 first and then put dc2 in when asleep.