Because we live in a 2 bedroom condo and our second child is on the way, sharing a bedroom is in our near future.
I get stunned looks when I tell people that my new-born baby and my 4 year old will be sharing a room.
Maybe I am naive, but I don’t understand what the big deal is. Obviously it is ideal for each child to have their own room, but I kinda think that is boring too.
Even though I had my own room growing up, my sister and I always slept in the same bed. We probably should have just shared a room.
I just saw this bedroom featured on Stephmodo and I couldn’t help but smile.
Not only is it designed so well, it is a bedroom for 3 kids!
Perfectly unisex and pretty.
{all images via Stephmodo}
From my experience, kids easily adjust to their environments. I’m sure there will be a few rough weeks, but in the end they will get used to it, right?
I need so advice from you more experienced moms!
What do you think, yes or no to sharing bedrooms?
Is it going to be no big deal, or should I just start crying now?
Our two girls share – 2 and 5 – and after a few initial problems with the youngest waking up the eldest during the night, they’ve adjusted so well I think they’ll probably never want to go their separate ways!!
Yours will be fine, there’s always a period of adjustment with a new baby anyway so go for it!!
This room is so bright and pretty. My girls have their own rooms but my girlfriend’s daughters shared a room almost from the birth of the second and it’s been just fine. I think kids get used to whatever situation they’re in pretty quickly!
I agree with you! Em and the new babe will adjust. It’s really not that crazy – plus, you have to do what you have to do! 🙂
I can’t wait to see what you come up with for the new shared room!
I’ll be honest, my kids are 17 months apart, and just reading this makes me cry. My oldest turned two at the end of July and my youngest is 7 months and their rooms are next to each other at home and they wake each other up all.the.time. My oldest is in a closet of a room. Seriously, smaller than my closet at our old house and the other two bedrooms in our house are really big. Everyone suggested just letting them share but it just wouldn’t work for us. They shared a room all last week at the beach and it was so stressful for me. That being said, if your oldest is no longer napping and you wait until the baby is sleeping through the night then I think it will totally work! I shared a room with my sister growing up and we hated each other until college when we both finally got some space. Moral of the story, the grass is always greener and we all turn out great either way. I think you’ll make it work!
You have to do what works for you and your family right now. We have a little 3 bedroom cottage and two little girls. They are just 2 months shy of being 4 years apart. Our oldest begged us to let her share a room with the baby once she came. The only reason I said no, was because our bedrooms are tiny and we have a 3rd available. Needless to say, now our girls are 2 and almost 6 years old…Almost every night they end up together. My husband and I have decided that when/if we move, if they still want to share we will not stop them. Some kids really love it, they feel a sense of security to know the other is there. You’re kids will let you know what works for them. And in the mean time, it’s your best option. I know you will put together a fabulous room for your kids! Who knows, maybe when mine bunk together, I may ask you for some design advice!! xoxo
It’s not a big deal. We had three sharing a room for a while, and at least two have always shared a room. I think the biggest thing that can drive you crazy is the toys getting everywhere. But once I gave them a good system for putting their stuff away it was a lot better.
I shared with my older brother (18 months apart) for a little while and we chatted all night. But, when I was 4 I shared a room with my baby brother and it worked well (even though I got kicked out during nap time). Overall, sharing can be great, and you learn life skills that help alot (especially in college!)
You’ve got this. I’m sure it’ll be a little trickier with keeping one from not waking up the other but everyone will adjust 🙂
Sharing a room is awesome when kids are little. I did it, my husband did it – when we have our second, they probably will share, too. Although once they get a little older they will definitely want their own space.
I was going to say what Courtney did. . .everyone I know who has children sharing rooms had a SMALL adjustment period and than the novelty wears off and they sleep great. I think the benefits far out way any drawbacks. My mom still talks about sharing a room with her sister. They were some of her favorite memories of all time. I think it is really special.
I shared a room with my little brother for awhile so we could have a playroom. I remember it fondly, but we were a little older then…both toddlers I guess. I hope it goes well 🙂
I swear by shared bedrooms. I shared all growing up and wouldn’t have it any other way!
but I say that before I have baby numero 2.
It will be great!!! They will end up best buds! 🙂 good luck!
My nephew and neice shared a room because they lived in a 2 bedroom place. There were some adjustments like Eli having to take naps on his mom’s bed because he just wanted to play with his little sister during nap time but they loved it in fact now that they live in a larger place they still share a room because they want to (I’m sure that will change shortly as Eli gets a little older)
My two girls have shared since birth. Now 9 1/2 and 7 they would not have it any other way to the point where they miss each other when they are gone. Yes in the beginning it took adjusting, but it is all worth it! Good luck!
My two girls have shared since birth. Now 9 1/2 and 7 they would not have it any other way to the point where they miss each other when they are gone. Yes in the beginning it took adjusting, but it is all worth it! Good luck!
We have a three bedroom house, but have CHOSEN to have our girls share, leaving a guest room for grandma and grandpa. I love having them in the same room–makes bed time routines easier (doing stories and songs all together). Naptime can be difficult, but by the time your new one is napping in a bed rather than a crib, Emory will be done with naps. It will totally work out!
I don’t have kids experience, but I have experience being a kid. I think it will be fine! I didn’t have my own room until I was 15 and you know how normal I am 😉
I have 2 18 mo apart. We have 3 bedroom but chose to share also. Kind of depends on sleep habits of baby and your oldest. Heavy sleeper? Sleep training I moved the baby out for about 6 months. Maybe they’ll stay in your room during that time. Naps were tricky at times but we all adjusted. Ultimately it helped the baby get on a schedule and now. Ed time is a blast. They love talking to each other & reading the same books.
My youngest two daughters shared a room from newborn & two year old, til just recently. They are now 11 & 13. I like to think it really helped them bond, and they will have fond memories of sharing a room. The only thing that was a problem was fighting over who made the mess in their room and who had to clean it up. Now that one is a teenager, they need their own space. But I think overall it was a good experience.
Our girls share a room even though we have an extra room we could use. I love it and they love it too! I think it helps create a stronger bond between them. I’m a huge fan of siblings sharing a room 🙂
When my 2nd was born, we lived in a 2 bedroom apartment and it worked out fine. I suggest a sound machine or a fan to help block out your baby’s cries until the baby sleeps through the night. My older daughter (2-1/2 at the time), would wake me up and tell me the baby was crying at first, and then with the sound machine and getting used to it, she would sleep through my son’s crying until I could get him to nurse him. It will work, and my first two were so close when they were younger that I think sharing a bedroom helped solidify that closeness.
Love it*
http://at-home-ideas.blogspot.pt/
My girls began sharing a room at 18 months and 3 yrs. It worked well when they when younger and sleeping was never an issue for us. Now 9 & 11 yrs they are ready for their own spaces. It was nice to have all of their clothes, toys, etc in one room.
My kids all shared a room. Our first house only had two bedrooms too. When we were in between houses we put three in a room together for a year. They were 7, 3 1/2 and newborn. It was just fine! Baby didn’t wake anyone up. Now that they are older, they boys (12 and 5) share a room with sister often sleeping over. It’s more of a problem now then it was then since they tend to fight. You can do it and with your talent, it will be pretty too!
Wow, that bedroom is adorable! I personally think all kids should share a room at some point in their lives. It teaches valuable life lessons about sharing, compromise and respect for others. I shared a room with my sister until I left for college and I think it made the college dorm room experience with a roommate an easier transition. Now that I’m married, I still don’t have my own room! (just a whole house that I’ve taken over 🙂
Laura
http://www.HappyroostBlog.com
I have 3 girls ages 8, 6, and 5 and they all share a room. They used to have their own rooms but we had to downsize due to the economy. Even though I wish they could all have their own space I am glad that they will have this time while they’re young to bond with each other. The only challenge is they do fight a lot and it is hard to separate them because we only have two rooms! It will all work out with your little ones.
My 2 boys share a room. The oldest is 3.5 years and the youngest is 11 months. They have been sharing since the youngest was 8 months. We kept the youngest in our room until I just needed my privacy! So far so good. The oldest is the one having the hardest time. He used to sleep all night but now comes to our room about 4:00 a.m. but I don’t mind b/c it gives the baby a chance to sleep longer in the morning without the oldest waking him up.
I still want a bigger house so they can have their own room. I do believe it affects sleeping, as it has with our oldest son. But hopefully that will just phase out and he will return to sleeping all night like he used to!
My two children, a boy and a girl, only about 19 months apart, share a room. I adore it! They’ve shared a room since the beginning and even now (they are 4 & 5), they love being together. Some times they still even sleep in the same bed…but not always. I know in a few short years we will have to separate them, but for now, they love being together and I think it would be a waste of space for them each to have their own rooms. No worries, really….it will be great 🙂
So glad your children will have the opportunity to grow up sharing a room together. Can’t wait to see the room!
A few years ago we lived in a 3 br apartment but I put all three kids in one bedroom (ages 4, 2 and 1) and used the other bedroom as a playroom. I napped the baby in our bedroom and the 2 year old in his bedroom. It was fine. Now we are in a bigger house the two boys still share a room. It will be just fine.
lovely! I just put my two (four year old boy + 3 year old girl) in the same room. I love everything about it. my friends often have their baby share the room with mom and dad (or closet–if they are light sleepers) for the first six months or so.
My 11 year old and 9 year old girls have shared since they were babies and have done great. My 6 year old boy and 4 year old girl both have their own rooms, but sneak in with us every night, (a problem we didn’t have with our older kids). I vote sharing!
Eli is in our room for now, until he gets better at sleeping through the night. Then the plan is to put him in with Ad, we too only have a 2 bedroom house! I will definitely put them in separate rooms when we get a bigger place, but only because they are opposite sex, if they were both boys or girls they would stay together for a few years!
I am not a mom yet, but I have several friends whose children CHOOSE to sleep together, even when they have a third room available! So they finally decided to leave that “extra room” as playroom, and the brothers sleep togeter very happy.
Apologizing in advance, I did not read the previous comments. When we moved into our house my oldest got his own room. He was eight at the time. My younger boys were three & a year in a half so they shared a room. It was awesome…until now. They are 12&10 and desperately want their own space.
Now we even have to stagger their bedtimes or they would keep each other up all night!
Since your situation isn’t permanent, I wouldn’t worry about it at all. At least not anytime soon. 🙂
MY boys 4 and 9 share, and wouldn’t have it any other way and end up sharing a bed most nights!9 yr old sometimes says he wants his own room,but it’s usually because his room is a mess due to 4 yr old. If I actually tried to move him (which I can’t), I really doubt he’d want to. Most folks older than us did this without even thinking about it!
Trish
http://www.mash-upchic.blogspot.com
I have a boy who is four and a half and a girl who is one and a half sharing a bedroom and it works out well most of the time. I’ll be honest, there are days when my youngest wakes up the oldest with her cry, but it’s still very manageable and they love being in there together… listening to them chatting when they wake up is the best! I also have a small fan to create some background noise. I think you’ll be fine.
We’ll be sharing rooms here for sure! A 3 bedroom in Boston is not in the cards, and even if it was I like the idea of shared rooms. Now if #2 is as bad as a sleeper as #1 I might change my tune:) Your little nugget will sleep through the night at 8 weeks for sure:)
It’s so funny, it’s only been a generation or 2 since we all used to sleep in one room together, even in the same bed!!! There is so much emphasis on having ones ‘own room’, but I remember being traumatized sleeping in a room by myself, while my parents had each other!!If anything I think it is unnatural to sleep separately!! We play musical beds in our house, and wherever one falls asleep, is bed for the night, even the lounge!!People freak out about this when I tell them!!
My girls are 5 years apart and have always shared a room. For the past 2.5 years, we were assigned to the embassy in Ukraine and the apartment we had only had two rooms, so all three kids were in a huge room together- 2 girls and a boy. For this stage in their lives, it worked out just fine. I think we Americans have gotten spoiled on space and forget that much of the world simply doesn’t live as luxuriously as we do.
{two bedrooms- the apartment itself was quite large}
I think it’s great! My dad grew up in a 3 bedroom home with 14 children! Yes, that’s not typical but they all turned out ok and my grandmother is still sane:)
WOW! It’s so funny to think about things like that! When I told my dad we were moving from our 1st (900 sq ft) home, he couldn’t understand why.
He grew up in a 2 BR with 7 kids! One for mom&dad and one for all the kids!
CRAZY, right??? We have things too easy nowadays.
Well Dani, I remember many nights of giggling, talking and planning that went on in your bedroom with your sister. Its truly a wonderful gift to have a sibling and an even greater one to share a room with them.
I shared a bedroom with my sister until I was 11, my husband shared with his brother and now my two youngest boys share a room…the best memories are made when you bunk up with your siblings!
We are a bedroom sharing family. Having two sets of boy/girl twins. They have always shared a room with their respective twin. My older set (age 7) has been given the option to have their own room for the last 2 years, but say no way. Obviously they love sharing a room and frankly if our bedrooms were large enough all 4 would prefer sharing a room. My younger set just turned 3. Maybe it’s a twin bond thing/comfort/or still being young.
Since they have been together since birth the crying of one typically doesn’t wake the other. Although, when they all 4 sleep in a room sometimes when a younger one cries it wakes an older kid. But they go back to sleep and if it was daily, they’d adjust. We also use a air purifier during the night for sound, which I think helps drown out crying.
Next year, if my older kids still don’t want their own room, I’ll end up having a girl & boy room.
You do what you can and what works for your family and you work with what you have. No matter what have fun doing it!
I have four children and we share bedrooms. However, I keep my newborns in with me (large walk in closet) in a bassinet until they are sleeping well. Even if your new little one wakes, your daughter will know that you are coming and she’ll learn to sleep through it. You’re certainly not alone in this, it will be fine. Just enjoy this lovely time in your life!!
I shared a room for a bit with a baby brother; I really felt like a big sister and was so honored and excited to have to him in my room.
we live in a small two bedroom home and have two children now 5 and 2 years old. i didn’t have quite the same positive attitude about sharing a bedroom like you had, but i have to say that it wasn’t as bad as i expected. my 5 year old girl learned to sleep through the crying and when we had “cry it out” nights with our baby we would allow our 5 year old girl to go to sleep in our bed and then we would transfer her to her own bed. the biggest headache i have had through this experience is that their toys are in their room too, so during nap time my daughter kept asking to go in her room to get toys. so our solution was to keep a few toys in baskets in the family room so she had some toys to play with during nap time. congratulations and good luck! i can’t wait to see their shared bedroom and get some ideas!
My girls are 4 1/2 and 18 months and have always shared a room. They love it and it has been nothing but a positive experience. People give us funny looks too – just ignore it. It will be a great bonding experience for the kids! 🙂
I’ve been mulling this same thing over- I think it’s fabulous and I know you’ll make that room a total dream!
Have you considered keeping your baby in your room with you? I actually bed-shared and then co-slept with my little guy for a long time. Nursing was simpler, he slept more soundly with me in the room, and I was able to respond to his crying much sooner. Plus it was easier on me….fewer steps to take in my nighttime exhaustion! Haha.
And I enjoyed reading the comments some people made about their parents and grandparents. My mom had her own room, but her little sister slept in her parents’ room for a long time. Also, my grandpa shared one room with his parents AND 11 other kids (they lived in northern Quebec, and closed up most of the house in the winter, and lived in the room over the kitchen….easier to heat!).
Well I don’t have any experience with it, obviously, but I think you can make it work! Just give each their little niche and they’ll adapt beautifully! Plus you’ll style the heck out of it, so I’m sure it will be perfect : )
Don’t listen to the haters…do what works for you and your family! I had a guest room and didn’t want to give it up so when my son was born he went right into my daughter’s room- they shared until she was about 5 or 6 and loved it. I didn’t find it to be a challenge- you do what you have to to make it work. I think sharing rooms is important because they will have to share rooms with college roommates, spouses, etc- if I had two of the same sex I would still have them in the same room and have a guest room- I think there are great benefits to it- besides your kids, your house, your decision! Good luck!
Those twin upholstered headboards are super-cute. They have one of my favorite shapes — simple enough, but more pizzazz than just a rectangle.
I actually like having my kids share rooms. I think they are so much closer for sharing! My oldest daughter wasn’t a good sleeper, when our second child was born they began sharing a room. I was amazed that our daughter slept better with her new baby brother in the room. She loved having someone there! organizeddinner.blogspot.com