Sharing rooms

[Loulou2980]

Hi. I need some advice. My partner and I have a 6 month old baby and he has a 4 yr old son that visits every weekend. We live in a two bedroom house. Both rooms small. But we need more room for the babies things, clothes toys etc. Our bedroom is getting very crowded and running out of space for both our things and babies things. My stepson has his own bedroom. Just about room for his things in there. I was thinking of letting the baby share with the 4 yr old however I’m a bit anxious. The 4 yr old doesn’t follow rules very well, can be rough with the baby. Take the babies things. Wakes up through the night some nights. Pees on the floor and doesn’t tell us. I’m not really sure what to do, moving at the moment isn’t an option. Do we try a room share? Do we wait it out? Or do we have the room be just the babies room through the week and then the toddler have the room on the weekends and the baby come in with us. I don’t know I just really need advice. My partner isn’t really bothered and wants them to share but isn’t really trying to help make the room.

For my own kids I didn’t have them share until my youngest was about 18 months. But what works is different for everyone. Could you put clothes/toys in the 4yr olds room but keep baby with you for now?

I wouldn't have felt comfortable sleeping in a different room to my baby until they were over a year old. And with an older child who may do something like put a pillow over the babies face not realising it is dangerous- I'd want to wait until the baby was fully mobile/ walking I think. I didn't put my youngest in with my eldest until they were 5 and 2.

I'd keep baby in with you until a year old but put some of baby's clothes in second bedroom with 4 year old.

I wouldn't have them sleep in the same room.

I think either you keep the baby in with you, but put some of the babies things in with the four year old (or somewhere else) to make a bit more space in your room. Or the baby has the room Mon-Fri and moved back in with you on the weekends.

I'd also have a clear through and put anything that is too small/big or not needed into vacuum pack bags/in the loft/under the bed or get rid of it. A six month old baby doesn't need a huge amount of stuff.

You could do a shared room for them both, with each one having a “side” of the room for their things and a bed/cot each. Then you could get a comfy travel cot that the baby could stay in for the weekend when dss visits? That sounds like the most reasonable solution to me.

FYI I have a 6mo and use a Bugaboo Stardust travel cot. It’s nicely compact and it has a really lovely mattress. It’s expensive but you can get offers in sales or second hand.

Thanks guys. Im not 100% comfortable with baby having his own room yet. Definitely wait until he’s one. I think I will put toys and clothes in the other room just to make some space, see how that goes.

i always like those beds with storage underneath. hes 4 so should be ok to climb up into his bed and have his stuff in the drawers and cupboards underneath.

if you have the money thats what i’d do, buy him his own big boy high up bed. he will think it’s a fab fun gift. rather than his things being pushed out so a baby’s things can take priority in his drawers etc.

if you get the storage bed for him then id use his current wardrobes and storage for the baby’s things. flat pack his existing bed frame and use it later for the baby.