is it better for siblings to share a big , semi split room, or have their own?

[missmapp]

I am expecting my 2nd child and have been thinking about this. we have a 3/4 bed house where our 3rd b.room was extended to make an extra room that is attached to the 3rd room, it does have doors in the middle, but is really one v. big room. Most of our family and a lot of friends live quite a way away and we use our spare room a lot. So, do we put the new baby in the original 3rd room and keep the attached room as the spare( thus disrupting said child when we have visitors,) or do we put both children in the shared room and change ds current room into the spare ?

Sorry its a rambling post which probably makes little sense, but i just wondered what people thought
Thanks

thanks, lockets, i was thinking it made more sense to wait until baby was a bit older and settled more ( hopefully!!) good to here it works so well for you

I only know the semi-split situation in children a lot older (my niece and nephew, 9/10 and 7/8 when it started). It didn't work well because the younger didn't give the older any personal space. But with young children I don't see a problem.

In our old house ds1 and ds2 shared from a young age - ds2 was certainly still a baby. They were sharing when he was 6m and ds1 would have been 2.

They share in this house too and they are 5 and 4 now. I find it more of a problem now because they muck around and keep each other awake. We have to put ds2 up first and give ds1 and extra half hour so that ds2 is asleep when he goes up.

so, good for young children but a bit more of a problem when they get older, well oi suppose that gives us a bit of time to start saving for a loft conversion, or a house move!!

nothing nicer (and comforting) than siblings sharing a bedroom.

my dds have always shared and they like sharing. Few issues cropping up now they are 10 and 8 but mainly to do with having friends round. As you will have the spare room anyway for them to play with friends in, you might as well have them share a bedroom. Make the most of your space.

Ds1 and dd share, it works really well. I think when they're older, ds1 and ds2 will share, and dd will have a different room, but it's always possible we might have another, in which case things might change!

My 2 eldest boys (13 and 11) have separate rooms and love it. When they used to share they were always blaming each other for the mess and it was hard to be fair on who cleared what up. They love it now they have their own rooms but they can't blame anyone else for the mess!

My 2 youngest boys (4 and 2) share a very large room that could easily be split into 2 separate rooms but they happily play together and share all the toys they currebntly have. They also go off to sleep together with no problem.

So, I'd say that sharing up til the age of about 8ish is relatively easy but after this they really do appreciate their own space if you have it.

Thanks for everyones thoughts - sounds like a room share is on the cards for the short term at least - great to hear about everyones positive experiences and i can see whay as children get older things get more complicated. I agree though,pointydog, it is just trying to make the most of our space.
Thanks again

Depends on age gap as well. I had to share my room with a sister 10 years my junior which was not great. I would have loved my own room and my own space and privacy.

I think sharing when both little is often good and they like it. But as they get older things often change and they want their own space more.

must admit, my preference would be for dds to always share a bedroom but we would also have a decent sized room which anyone could bagsy for music, having friends, films etc.

We've sort of got that but the extra room is pretty much filled with computer, huge doll's house and arty crafty stuff.

I must try to do more with it myself soon...

we have a playroom downstairs, which can easily be used to have friends over, tv and music when they are older as it is away from the lounge (adult respite!!) so that will give extra space aswell. Im coming round to this now.

Dss have shared a bedroom since ds2 was 6 weeks old! He is almost 8 (yrs!) now

They actually have the small (3rd) bedroom - with bunkbeds, wardrobe, chest of drawers and no room for anything else. But then the very large 2nd bedroom is their playroom with loads of shelving for toys, plus a sofa(bed) and a double bed, a desk, and LOADS of space! When we have guests to stay the boys have to give up some of their time in the playroom, and the guests have to accept that sometimes the boys will want access to their stuff! It works well.

I anticipate at some stage they will want their own space, but it hasn't happened yet. (Ds1 is 9.5.) When it does we will put one of them in each room.

Mine have always had separate rooms, but it's fine for younger ones to share.
How about when they are both old enough, give them each their own room but one have bunk beds and the other a sofa bed in the room. Then - when you have guests to stay - both yours can go in the bunk beds in one room and the other room will be free for relatives.