DCs sleeping in the same room - good idea or not?

[bessie26]

#2 hasn't even arrived yet, so I'm getting slightly ahead of myself, but DH & I were just chatting about this...

We have 3 bedrooms, 2 are fairly big, and the other, while still being a decent size is about half the size.

I had imagined, that once #2 had stopped the waking-in-the-night-due-to-teeth bit, (s)he & DD(2) would both into one of the bigger rooms together, so freeing up the smaller room for clutter stuff like the clothes horses, ironing board & maybe a sofa bed incase anyone is ever brave enough to visit us.

DH on the other hand, doesn't see the point in them sharing - he says, we have three bedrooms, they'll end up in their own rooms when they're older anyway, so why make them share now?

Do your DCs share a room? Would you choose for them to share if you had another room? If your DC are different sexes, at what age do they need to have separate rooms?

We are in the same situation housewise, bedroom three isn't a box room but it is small. We have 2DD and at the moment they are in separate rooms but once the youngest is sleeping more reliably through the night we'll be putting them in together. I like the idea of them sharing, especially whilst they are little. I have visions of matching cute toddler beds next to each other!

With our third room we'll do exactly as you say, sofa bed, ironing board - general out-of-sight messyness.

Once dd2 moved out of our room she went straight in with dd1, so around 9/12 months I think. Suddenly dd2 started sleeping straight through after waking up once a night!
I shared with my brother and sisters and I have very fond memories of chats/games arguments about who was going to turn the light out etc. Now dds are 3 and 15 months they wake about 7:30 and talk to each other and play til about 8- well dd2 makes noises which dd1 responds to as speech! I think it's nice for them to have time together without me and dp.
If dd2 had been a boy they'd have shared too. It's just so much nicer. My sister's dd and ds share a room still at 5 and 7 and they have quite a large spare room.

Hi DD1 (6) and DS1 (4) share a bedroom and have since he was about 8 months. DD slept through him waking in the night and he sleeps through when she wakes.

I don't have the option of giving the separate rooms but I and they like the fact that they share a room. They chat in the mornings, sometimes whisper before going to sleep. They get dressed together and chat. They share their books together and play lots of games with their bedtime toys together.
I think even if we had another room I would have them in together until they didn't want to.
Try it out and if it doesn't work then you can use the extra room but really for a few years you could use it as something else.
It works in favour to if you go away or they go to stay somewhere as they would be use to sharing a room.

It use to be at about 7 or so they should have sep. rooms but that is only if you've got the space. Mine are looking forward to getting a new bunk bed and wardrobes for their room next week. Really love to share a room.

Thanks for the replies ladies, it's good to know it's not a totally insane idea (or if it is, at least I'm not alone! )

I love the idea of them being able to chat & play together in the mornings, but as I was an only child I do wonder if I have a slightly skewed view of how wonderful it would be to have a sibling!

I would love it if my 8 year olds could have seperate rooms! The idea of them 'being able to chat and play together in the mornings' is lovely. The reality of them still doing this when I want to go to sleep isn't lovely.