So one of my favorite topics of Baby Bunching (website soon to be launched I hope) is about kids sharing rooms. Right after people ask about double strollers (yes, you must have one), they often inquire about kids sharing a room. When will it be OK for kids to share a room? Do I need a second crib?
Now everyone has a different philosophy on this. I know back in the day my grandparents put my aunt in a dresser drawer in some room of the house to accommodate the six kids, but these days many parents tend not let kids share a room until they're a bit older.
With my kids, my first son was such a fabulous sleeper. By three months he was sleeping through the night and took very regular naps. Do you think I was about to screw that up when my daughter came along? Uh, no. He had one room. She had the other.
Good sleeper. Bad sleeper. Never the two shall meet. Until Grandma's house. This week at my parents' house we have begun introducing them to cohabitation--sibling style. While my parents have plenty of space in their house, the easiest set up is to stick both kids in the same room. This may not seem like a big deal, but to kids who have for the few short years of their lives only slept alone, this can be a bit of an adjustment. This is the second time we've tried putting them in the same room, and I'm proud to announce this go 'round we've finally almost got it right. The first night, both kids agreed they needed to not talk so they could fall asleep. That was more of Alex dictating to Anna that he couldn't sleep when she talked. But today, they both decided they wanted to sleep together one of the bigger beds. The rules: no talking, hands to yourself, you must rest. Sure enough, both kids napped....together...in the same bed. This is a breakthrough for us. As it opens up the possibility to finally all getting one hotel room!!!!
7.08.2008
Cohabitating Kids
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2 comments:
When we put the condo on the market, we put both kids (20 mos. apart) in the same room. The baby was previously sleeping in our room. There have certainly been ups and downs, and we plan to separate them when we have enough bedrooms, but it's been bearable. I think they'll both sleep better in their own rooms (every night is like a slumber party, with my husband and I going in at irregular intervals and telling them to stop giggling at each other or lie down or be quiet or go to sleep) but they will also miss each other terribly when that happens. The couple of times we have tried to put the baby down before her brother, she points to his bed and cries until he comes to the room.
When my oldest was 2 she started demanding that her newborn sister sleep in her room. When they were 4 and 2 we moved them into the same room. For the last 6 months they have been sleeping in the same bed (despite our reminders they have their own beds!!) THey know want their little brother to join them when he moves to a bed. I don't think so!
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