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Original poster

Three children in a two-bed house?

56 replies

SouthEastLondonMummy · 16/04/2007 23:05

We have two small kids and a two bedroom house, and at the moment our two girls share. We have no money to move to a bigger house, and can't move away from London because of our jobs. But we are both desperate for a third child! Has anyone out there had a third child despite it being totally impractical? I'm 33, so time's getting on.

OP posts:
paulaplumpbottom · 16/04/2007 23:06

a third could always sleep with you? How do you feel about co-sleeping?

gigglinggoblin · 16/04/2007 23:09

i think it depends on your kids. we did it and it was a nightmare because the 2 eldest shared and kept each other awake all night, they argued all the time and i couldnt put baby in their room as they would have woken him aswell so he slept in our room. if the oldest 2 hadnt been so horrible together i dont thinhkit would have been a problem.

stitch · 16/04/2007 23:10

er, we were four kids in a three bed house.
never a problem.
well, as i remember it. dparents may have differnt perspective.

fryalot · 16/04/2007 23:13

We have three kids - we have a three bedroomed house, but one of the rooms is very much a junk room.

The plan is that all three of them share, but in truth, dd2 co-sleeps with us due to awful nightmares and night terrors.

It works so well for us, we have no plans to sort out the junk room just yet.

coppertop · 16/04/2007 23:13

We have 3 in a 2-bedroom house. Tbh the 3-bedroom ones in our street are exactly the same size as ours, it's just that the rooms upstairs are partitioned differently.

fussymummy · 16/04/2007 23:15

We had 3 kids in a two bedroom maisonette.
It was tough but we managed as the rooms were good sizes.

I grew up in a three bedroom house with 7 siblings and my parents!!!

Anythings possible!

1dilemma · 16/04/2007 23:15

33 isn't so old

charlottegeorgiaolivermums · 16/04/2007 23:24

Cousin has 3dc (1dd & 2ds) in a 2 bed flat, she managed fine they all slept together and when her dd1 got older she slept on sofa bed in lounge to get away from brothers. When her dc grow she and dh had managed to save up and moved to larger property. Yes at the moment you can't afford to move but who knows what the future holds and in a few years you may be in a position to move to a larger house but I agree 33 isn't old but if you wait until you can afford to move may be you will then be too old to add to your family.

tortoise · 16/04/2007 23:26

I had 4 children in a 2 bed upstairs flat. Now have 3 bed house with small rooms!
It is possible but it depends on room size too.

nappyaddict · 16/04/2007 23:30

i know someone who had 5 kids in a 3 bedroomed house. 3 girls in one room, 2 boys in another.

expatinscotland · 16/04/2007 23:31

People have done this and lived!

In fact, in the wide world, millions still do!

Go for it.

My dad shared a room with four siblings.

They all lead/led prosperous and happy lives.

noddyholder · 16/04/2007 23:34

What is the layout of your house There may be a way of reconfiguring to all squeeze in although it is a joke that people have to limit their families because housing in this country is so out of hand

nappyaddict · 16/04/2007 23:39

and they moan that the birth rate is falling!

KerryMum · 16/04/2007 23:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

nappyaddict · 16/04/2007 23:57

my friend has bunk beds and a single bed in one room and a bed and a cot in the other one.

hatrick · 17/04/2007 00:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

UCM · 17/04/2007 00:02

DH was one of 6 siblings in a 3 bedroom house. The parents were in the big room. It can work and will possibly make your kids really close to each other. Not like today where each child has their own room and goes off on their own and doesn't really bother with siblings again.

This will become fashionable again eventually. But there will be no provision for beds unless you just buy a double and let them get on with it. You can't have triple bunks.

nappyaddict · 17/04/2007 00:12

tortoise are all 4 in one room?

nappyaddict · 17/04/2007 00:12

sorry meant to say were

Surfermum · 17/04/2007 00:16

We have 2 bedrooms and have 1 dd, plus dsd on alternate weekends. I'd find it hard to fit another in here, but that's more because of all the stuff we have, if I really needed to I guess we would, it's just I've chosen not to.

serenity · 17/04/2007 00:19

I have three children in a 2 bed flat. Up until christmas DD (3) had a junior bed in mine and Dhs room, but now she shares a room with her brothers (6 and 9) They have a triple bunkbed (double on the bottom and single on the top) ATM DD and DS2 share the bottom, but once DD is able to go on the top she'll be up there and the boys will share. Options for the future include...

a, swapping rooms, and putting a partion across the larger room (not really big enough, and too much stored in 'our' room for it to work)

b, DSs have our room, DD has little room and we get a proper sofa bed for the living room (our stuff would still have to stay in the larger bedroom though)

c, holding a member of lambeth council at gunpoint until they agree to a sodding transfer......

It can be done, but it's not ideal. It's not a problem for the DCs as it's all they've known, Dh is at work, it's me who normally ends up in tears feeling like a crap mother However, having DD was worth it. If I wasn't stressing about this, it would only be something else I suppose!

MarsLady · 17/04/2007 00:34

Yes... me!

Had 5 in a 2 1/4 bed flat for a wee while. Had 3 in a 2 bed for years!

Honey... if you want the third... go for the third!

nappyaddict · 17/04/2007 00:46

what's a 2 1/4 bed flat exactly?

MarsLady · 17/04/2007 00:49

DS1's room was the size of a small closet... literally!

nappyaddict · 17/04/2007 00:49

so you had 4 in one room and ds1 in the closet?