Baby sharing room with 8 year old

[Starjumpfifty]

Hi, I'm looking for some tips on good ways to split/share bedrooms between children with age gaps.

I live in a 2 bed house with more than enough space for another one and I don't plan to move as we love it here. My daughter will be nearly 8 when the baby's born, so it's quite a big age gap. Her room is a good size, but I've no idea the best way to split it or arrange it so that she can share comfortably with her younger sibling, especially if it's a boy (which I believe it is).

I don't own so cannot put up any walls.

Has anybody done this with big age gaps and opposite genders? What would be the best way to make sure they each have their own space and privacy over the coming years? Any advice appreciated, thank you.

Do you have a extra reception room you could move into?
We're planning to move as loft conversion costs have rocketed since the pandemic, moving seems more beneficial financially but I love my area.
I'm in not hurry as realistically my kids coslept until they wanted to, I'll be the same with my DD but depending on the market I'll move dp and I into the living room and give dd our bedroom as it makes the most sense and tbh the living room is barely used. The kids like hanging out with me in the kitchen or our little room. (It was advertised as a snug but it gets called the little room😂)

I think people worry about not utilising their space specific for their needs because its not keeping with tradition to have bedrooms downstairs but in my experience people aren't visiting your home to judge the lay out x

Blimey, so much drama about two siblings sharing! I've known many siblings share successfully, and not just "poor" people who couldn't afford to move. In cities in other countries it's perfectly normal.

I grew up up in a large 4 bed house - my sisters who were very close in age refused point blank to share a room, so I shared with my brother who was 8 years older than me? And much kinder than my sisters! It was decorated to his taste, but I didn't mind.

There are lots of ideas on Instagram of how to split a room with built in beds. It wouldn't be cheap to get a carpenter to create something like that, but cheaper than moving I would imagine. If you're in the catchment for great schools I totally get why you wouldn't want to move for a larger house. Location, location, location, as they say.

What I do think is important though is that your DD has somewhere to study for exams that your younger child knows is a "sacred area" where your DD shouldn't be disturbed.

I come from a place where bedrooms and living rooms were interchangeable. We all had sofa beds. It’s a faf, but perfectly doable.

You could keep the baby in with you and then once he’s too old give the largest room to DD and put a wardrobe with your stuff in her room and a sofa bed into the living room. Might be tricky if you have a partner, but if it’s just the 3 of you why no?