anyone have a toddler and a baby <12 months sharing a room? How does it work?

[theyoungvisiter]

We live in a small 2 bed flat and currently have DS1 (aged 3) in 1 bedroom and DS2 (8 months) in with us in the other. It's not ideal because DS2 is a very light sleeper and we are waking him up coming up to bed etc.

I am thinking of moving them in together to avoid waking DS2 up when we go to bed, but not sure how to work bedtimes etc, as DS2 goes to bed at 7pm and DS1 goes to bed at 8pm after lots of stories and messing around.

Does anyone else have a toddler and a baby in the same room and how does your routine work?

We had ours sharing a room - we just moved stories out of the bedroom so when the older one went to bed, it was straight to sleep IYKWIM. When DS2 is a bit older they can have stories together which is great fun!

We want ours to share when dd gets her act together and starts sleeping so very interested as at the moment I think it could be a nightmare!

thank you flashharriet (great name btw!). Did you find that your older one wound down ok with stories not in his room and did it take long to make the change in route?

I am a bit worried that DS1 won't know it's bedtime iyswim, as stories in his room has always been the "sign" that it's time to start going to sleep.

Also how old were they when you made the move?

I have to go out now to take DS1 to nursery but I will check back in an hour or so - thanks v much for any responses!

sorry, change in routine

BTW I now have the Flash Harry theme from St Trinians going round my head - I blame you

We have a toddler (2.10) and a baby (16 months) in a room together, they have shared since DD2 was about 8 months old.

They usually both go to bed at the same time, sometimes DD2 goes first then DD1 a bit later. We don't really have a bedtime routine just take them upstairs put them in bed and go back downstairs.

When they both go together can often hear them giggling over the baby moniter, but they don't disturb each other and go to sleep fine. I don't find it to be a problem at all, although saying that I have never allowed any messing about at bed time so 98% of the time they both go off without a peep, I'm not sure how well it would work if one of them was constantly kicking up a huge fusss every night.

Thanks Truth - when I said "messing around" it's not so much resisting going to bed, more that it's DS1's fun time with DH (who's obviously at work all day) so bedtime tends to be quite protracted with lots of stories and games around pyjamas, toothbrushing etc etc.

Do they ever wake each other up at night?

we have ds2 aged 2 and a half sharing with ds3 aged 1 and a half. they have shared for a year now and to be honest i wasnt looking forward to it at all. but they have surprised me and have taken to it really well.
the youngest goes bed at 5 and the elder at 6. sometimes they chat for abit, but soon drop off to sleep.
i think if you get them into a bedtime routine, tea, bath, story then bed they will aurprise you. good luck

Gosh I'm trying to remember...DH used to "do" bath and bedtime for them together, then one of us would put the younger one to bed while the older one stayed up for a bit and had stories etc either on the sofa or on our bed. But it wasn't long (maybe about a year old for the younger one?) that it just became easier to do the whole thing together.

There may be some monkeying about to start with but the novelty soon wears off and tbh it's lovely to hear them giggling together, especially in the mornings

DD1 was a lousy sleeper, would wake at the slightest thing but DS (older) always slept well - DD1 woke rarely in the night when they shared a room, it seemed to settle her IYKWIM i.e. I think she may have derived comfort from seeing him if she woke, rather than calling for us.

That is interesting flash. I'm terrified of doing it with mine because I have visions of having to get up a zillion times a night and them setting each other off but waking less is comforting! Ds currently wakes a fair bit at night with nightmares or just general being unable to get back to sleep and wanting to come into our bed etc so I worry that if we put them in together when dd starts sleeping a bit better (7.5 months and waking around 4/5 times a night) he will wake her up.

(sorry tyv if I'm hijacking, I was going to start the exact same thread you just beat me to it!)

I think it's one of those things that's definitely worth trying and I wouldn't discount it if it doesn't work straight away - wait a couple of months and try again maybe?

When DD2 came along, she shared with DD1 from about 18 months (they still share now aged 8 and 6). Thinking about it, over the years I've had the lights blazing while I've stripped beds from sickness or bedwetting and the other one in the room has never woken up!

agree with flash.
some nights its sounded like one of them is building a shed up there, and when i go up the other one is asleep
and i agree, its lovely to hear them giggling together

Good thread I also have been wondering when I can ship DS out (3 months) to share with DD (21 months). DS has slept through for the first time so hopefully in a few months he can go in with DD. I was going to put DD in the single bed when he goes into the cot in that room.

we have DS1 (3.9) and DS2 (1.9)sharing a room - they have done since DS2 was 5 months. I was very panicky at putting them in the same room as DS2 was a rubbish sleeper at first, however his sleeping drastically improved once he was sharing with his brother and I am sure this is because DH and I were disturbing him through the night. Even if we moved to a bigger house with 3 bedrooms I would always have the 2 boys in the same room as they enjoy the company. HTH

We have 3 in together! ds 4.5yo, dd1 3yo and dd2 15mo.

They have all been in together since dd2 was 6mo.

The other 2 moved in together when they were 2.2yo and 9mo.

It has always worked really well for us. They are used to the noise if any of them ever wake up so it doesn't disturb the others.

If I want I can put the youngest to bed first and then the others just have stories elsewhere which doesn't bother them. More often than not they all go to bed at the same time- 7pm.

It's fab because there is never a problem when we go away and they have to share because they do it anyway!

My 2 ds's shared from when DS2 was about 9 months old. They still share now, DS1 is nearly 7, DS2 is 5.

They do really comfort one another and they both feel more secure being togeether I think. When we first did it they went to bed at the same time, now DS1 will stay up a bit later.

They keep each other company in the mornings and play instead of waking us. It's lovely.

thatsnotmymonster, that's a really good point about holidays, it does make it straightforward. Interestingly, ds wanted to share with dd1 when we went away this year!

thanks for all the responses - I think you have motivated me to make the move! (Although I will have to find the allan key for DS2's cot first - groooooaaaaaan)

No worries about hijacking Indith, the more the merrier!

I think I've been dithering partly because of the notion of them waking each other up all night, but also because I think DS1 will be delighted at the idea of sharing, and I am worried that if it doesn't work out and we have to move DS2 back, there might be tears.

Oh well, I guess we'll just see how it goes...