4 and 2 year old brothers sharing room when Baby #3 arrives?

[Anonymous]

For those who have transitioned a pre-schooler/ toddler from their individual, separate rooms to a shared room with two beds, I need your advice! Is this even a feasible concept? I am concerned about impact on bedtime routine, night-waking. Both kids sleep thru the night on a fairly regular basis in their own room. Sometimes one will awaken and cry and the other one will sleep through even though the crying is clearly audible to the other. If we do decide to transition to one room, when should we do it- before or after the baby arrives? Plan B involves moving, which we plan on doing at some point in the next couple of years. The baby could sleep with us also, allowing each boy to maintain his own room. I hoping for some sage advice and success stories, please! TIA!

[Anonymous]

This is not only a feasible concept, but people all over the country and world do this and have done this through out the ages.

My boys have been sharing a room since they were 1 & 4.5. The younger one goes to bed first and the older gets a book read in another room before being tucked in. The younger one often cries out int he night, but most often the older one is out like a rock.

The younger one is an early riser and I get him out of the room as quickly as possible as to not wake his brother.

[Anonymous]

Do the transition BEFORE! the baby arrives. Give yourself tons of time. It took about a week after the transition for my girls, at age 2 and 4, to get the sillies out of their system. Now they are perfect and chat with each other in a whisper before dozing off, but we had some wild and hairy nights at first.

[Anonymous]

Just started letting my 4 y.o. DS and 2 y.o DD sleep in the same room, after going on vacation and trying it out. They both go to bed and wake up at the same time. They do fall asleep slower - DD used to be out like a light before I closed the door to her room. But they seem happy talking to each other, although DS gets up more often in the falling asleep period to report on what DD is doing (e.g., "She wants her blanket, needs water, won't stop talking, is making noise, is bothering me", etc. )

Nap time (if your older child still naps) is a disaster! Mine keep each other up and then neither sleeps! Luckily, my DD is still in a crib (with wheels), so we just move it back to her room at naptime. But I figure DS will drop his nap any day now and that problem will be resolved.

Don't have a #3, so don't know about timing, but would guess the moved child would complain the baby took their room if it was too close...

[Anonymous]

My two have been sharing for over a year and it has been fantastic. I moved #2 into the room about 4 months before #3 was born. Never had a problem with one waking the other up as they've been told if they have an accident, don't feel well, etc. to come find us. Occasionally (about once a month) one will complain at bed time that the other one is chatting or "being annoying" but we send them back to bed and don't hear a peep. Initially #2 would get out of bed and put toys in bed with him but he's so tired now that he sacks out within 10 minutes of being put to bed. The bedtime routine is also easier b/c I take them both up together after the baby is asleep, get teeth brushed and while #1 reads to me, #2 selects his book to have read to him. I think sharing the room has made the closer, they work as a team when it comes to cleaning up, getting dressed, etc. and I've never heard of a complaint of being afraid b/c they've got someone in the room with them. I'd definitely do the transition before the baby comes so you have time to work out the kinks. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

NP here. I'm about to move our 22 month old in with her brother (4.5). For those of you who have moved a 2 year old, did you get a second crib or did you go right to a bed? when we did the move with DS, he went right into a bed, but he was 2.5. I'm afraid DD will be all over the place (and in her brother's bed) if we don't get another crib, but it does seem like a short time span.