Hi everyone. I am Amy and I work over on The Love Lust List, the Rock My Wedding handpicked wedding supplier directory. You will see me popping up on here from time to time sharing my parental experiences so thanks for having me x
My husband and I live in a two bed end terrace house… with our three children. Max 8, Murray 5 and our daughter Meade who is about to turn 3. This of course means they all share a room and do you know what, they love it.
Max and Murray are one side of the room in matching single beds. We actually did try a bunk bed for a short period of time but there is something so lovely about twin beds and happily reverted back. My requirement for the boys beds was space underneath. Murray is still at the big toy stage. Under his bed is a remote control car graveyard and between the boys they have an artillery of Nerf at the ready for any monster invasions.
Meade is still in her moKee cot that is positioned at the other side of the room. When I was pregnant with Meade I knew we would be space poor so I had decided to get a cot rather than Cot Bed. The benefit with the moKee is that it is small, cot sized yet the child can still grow with it as one of the sides is removable. In it’s current state it is like a mini day bed. Also, they are totally gorgeous, let’s not pretend that wasn’t a benefit for this Instaholic Mother.
Sharing a room means my children have to negotiate and compromise and basically are forced to share in general. The boys have only recently claimed a bed for themselves. They used to swap, chop and change all the time. This was even the case during the bunk bed stage. Completely all their doing, it was just something that evolved with them. until landing on sides maybe three months ago.
They share toys and rarely claim ‘ownership’ on belongings because it’s all there, in their room, free for all to use. I think much like at school in the classrooms.
All three children go to bed at the same time, in the same room. Hello! This benefit is awesome. Bedtime for my three is at 7pm. The boys read to me and I read to them, not every night y’all I am no supermum!
After we have had stories, kisses, hugs and high fives and I have clocked off, may or may not be drinking a sneaky glass of vino, they chat. They don’t make any effort to try and come back downstairs because they are together, they have company and I think it’s their little pre-sleep pow wows that helps makes them so close. Full Disclosure, this does not mean I am not shouting ‘get to sleep!’ from the bottom of the stairs, as they giggle back at me.
Our long term goal with the house has always been to extend. So ‘the dorm’ as it’s affectionately known has had the ‘temporary’ label on it, making it easier to justify. I sometimes feel uncomfortable that our house in it’s current proportions cannot provide my children the luxury of a room each. Then I remember that not once have they ever complained or asked for their own rooms. We aren’t in squalor here they just share a room, much like that off the olden days when it was perfectly acceptable to do so.
When our extension is realised (we are currently at planning) they will be separated and will be just as happy in their own rooms as they are happy now I am sure. There are perks I see coming my way when this happens. I can decorate, who doesn’t love that? Give them a room specifically designed with their individuals likes in mind. I have visions of a calmer morning where they will be getting dressed in different rooms – dream. I will have the ability to separate them and be separate from them.
The timing is certainly right for us to extend now as Max approaches nine years old. It does make me a little sad though but maybe that’s just because they are growing up.
Very tempted to turn Jenson’s nursery back into a study and stick them both in Lyra’s room after reading this Amy! 😂 How lovely x
It’s lovely when they are young. A friend of mine actually has the space to split hers up but they choose to share, super sweet x
Aw it’s been lovely reading this. I’m 32 weeks pregnant with no2 and having recently started working for myself, our 3rd bedroom is my office. The intention was always for this to become a nursery however. We have decided to put both children in the one room and hopefully this will all work out okay. We’ve bought my son a high loft bed and we are putting a Mokee cot for the new bub underneath it. My next mission is to plan all the storage for ALL the toys!
Ah congratulations on your bump. When our second came along I was concerned that he would wake up his big brother in the night. He didn’t though and it was the same when Meade came along. I think little ones just sleep through the various sounds and baby cries. Mokee’s are super aren’t they? Hope it goes well x
Thank you 🙂 I’m lucky that our first is and always has been a really good sleeper and I’m hoping this will continue. We are going to put the cot in there from day 1 and use it for nap times so when the transition does come, it should hopefully be easier. We haven’t got our Mokee yet but they look so pretty x
This is definitely reassuring and i love the ‘dorm’! Any tips for age and transition of youngest into a shared bedroom? I have a daughter who is 2 and in her own room and my little boy is 8 months and currently in his cot in our bedroom which is a bit of a squeeze!
I’d love tips on this too! My daughter is 3.5 and my son is 9 months. We are hoping to move soon to a bigger house but may need another year to save. I’m not sure when would be best to move my son in with my daughter or just keep him in with us until we move…hmmm
Great post though…certainly has me thinking!
I say go for it, move him in ha. Are you able to set up a cot in your daughters room? Try to put your little boy down for naps during the day in there (if you already do this, ace) The more familiar he is with the room the easier the transition. From day dot I would put the youngest (whoever that was at the time) in the cot in the bedroom as I was reading bedtime stories to the others, I am sure it helped when it came to being shipped out of our room. Good luck with whatever you decide xx
I think I moved the little ones when they were about 6 months give or take. Meade (youngest) stayed in with us for the longest period of time. I always had the cot up in the room though, I would pop her in for naps during the day before actually making the room move. I did the same with Murray, so at night he would be with us but nap in the big room during the day. I found bedtime so much easier when they were all together, the baby would just enjoy the noise of me reading to the other/s. I am sure the move will be easier than you think and you can have your own room back x
Wonderful post! I’m in the same boat, we have a perfectly fine 2 bedroom newbuild with two large ‘double’ bedrooms. I have a 6,3&1 yr old in one room. They also all go to bed at the same time, sometimes my eldest stays up to read in his top bunk. Often he also lifts/helps my 1 year old out of her cot bed in the morning and plays with them between 545-645ish.
They also get along really well and share all their toys. Although we have had to hide the lego and marbles away for a little while whilst Indyana is little.
Later this year we are spilting our bedroom into two and I will be loosing my office space so Zachary can have his own room and then eventually Indyana when she’s older.
I really do think they’ll miss their big brother being there. Are you on insta? I’d love to add you 👍🏻
Ahhhh so really similar story. I love that, when the older ones entertain the littles, I think they really enjoy it. Lovely children’s names! Yes I am – amycampbelllouise xx
Thanks, my middlist is Orson ☺ I’ll add you thanks xx
Hi Amy, really enjoyed reading this. We moved from a 2 bed flat to a 3 bed house when our son was 1. Operation ‘baby number 2’ is still in progress. We have 3 large bedrooms which we thought would be excellent for the kids to have a room each but lots of my friends children share a room and I think it’s really lovely! If we had 2 boys I think it would be great for them to share a room and have bunks, that way we can keep one room for a guest room. Looking forward to reading more of your posts 🙂
Ah I am so glad, thanks. Guest room is a dream! We all have this pressure on our heads to provide a room each for our children but I just don’t think it’s financially realistic these days and if the children are happy, that’s kind of all that counts when they are little isn’t it? All the absolute best with cracking on with baby number 2 x
Elliott (12) & Joseph (11) have been sharing a room since Anabelle was born (2013), but it’s definitely time for them to have their own space now. We’ve also just submitted some plans to the council for an extension and are eagerly awaiting their decision. I’m not looking forward to living through the build though, but can’t wait for the end result, it’ll improve our family life SO much. xxx
When will you hear back Lorna, longest wait ever isn’t it?? I check about 5 times a day hahaha. Same, dreading that. Your boys will love being on their own at that age x
I’m Amy’s mum, yes she is ‘super mum’ I’m allowed to say it and it’s true. The kids are so happy in their bedroom, when I babysit (not that often) they know I’m downstairs but make no attempt to come down. As amy said bed at 7pm, they chat to each other for a short time then go straight to sleep. They are also so considerate to each other. They’ll have such happy memories of the dorm.
Thanks Mum xxx
My 5 and 3 years share through choice, and I think it will be along time before they choose to sleep separately.
For those planning to move kids in together, justbite the bullet and do it. Kids adapt really well and mine generally sleep through the noise, or get used to going back to sleep!
We move ours in together when our 3 year old just turned 12 months but I think in hindsight we could do it earlier.
It makesbedtimes so much simpler! They enjoy each other’s company and our 3 year old sleeps so much better with his sister in the room
I am slightly nervous about doing bedroom in three different rooms wahhhhh, it’s going to take ages! x
What an awesome post, my husband and I plus our 11 month old boy Franklin and our dog Daphne all live in a two bed victorian terrace. Space is on the tight side and I always just thought if/when we’re ready for another baby we’d have to move house…but this post is definitely food for thought 🙂 thank you.
Franklin is the best name!! Totally nabbing that for my list 😍
Haha it’s great, he’s named after his Grandad Frank but it totally suits him. He’s definitely grown in to it.
I agree, Franklin – totally ace name. They are small for so long that it’s a while before it’s any sort of issue with them sharing. I’m glad you liked the post and thanks so much for taking the time to comment x
I really like this post. Although we’re in the ‘one and done’ camp… We’re also about to buy a house and I have worried that a three bed would be too small if another kiddo ever made their way into the picture. I’m from Ireland but live in Scotland, so we kinda always need to have a guest room for the rotation of visiting family. But, I shared a room with my brother for part of our childhood and I remember loving it.
One and Done hahahahaha, great term. If I can have three in one you can have two in one with a spare room. I love the idea of a guest room, even if it’s used when someone, child or other half, is unwell, struggling to sleep etc, always nice to have a different bed to sleep in I think x
Also meant to say I’m a twin and shared a room with my sister through choice until we were 13/14 and even then we were always going and ‘sleeping over’ in each others rooms.
That is just so lovely, you must have really fond memories x
Really interesting post. I’m newly pregnant with number 2 (12 week scan next week) and wondering what to do bedroom wise. We have a three bed so the plan is to move my wee boy out of the nursery and into the spare room before baby arrives and put baby into the nursery. That means losing our spare room though which I’m not keen on as we have people to stay a lot so this has really made me think that maybe I could put them in together after a while. Thank you!
I am glad it’s given you comfort and congratulations on number two! It’s quite a nice way of getting the older sibling involved with the baby too. Choosing little pieces for their room, prints, drawing or painting something etc. Hope all goes well with the scan x
Great post – sounds like they’ve all had a lot of fun! I fondly remember sharing with my sister in the early years and what became her room was a joint playroom – how lucky were we! We have twins (boy and girl) and planned from the off to sleep them in the same room for the early years. This way we retain a guest bedroom (my family live abroad) so helpful to hear so many stories of it working well.
Lucky!! I mean it’s such a small proportion of time that they are even upstairs and awake really. Tonight they are being awful, end of term tomorrow and excitement levels are peaking. I think I might need to rethink my plan and keep the little two together for longer and get on board with this whole guest bedroom thing!? x
Amy you just inspired me to confess all about our shared bedroom shitshow on IG stories! We stupidly tried to subdivide the big kids room in the barn but once the dividing wall was up it looked horrendous! So much better as a shared space and I hope they love being together as much as your little gang xxx
Hahaha ‘shared bedroom shitshow’ We need to see this! What is your Instagram please? x
@lshipley805 😘
I really want the boys to share a room and have been waiting until Tayo starts sleeping through… I think they will just love being together all the time. the Dorm Rocks! x
Mine definitely weren’t sleeping through when I moved them. I think that the noises help, poor Meade really, both boys love a snore up! ha x He will get there hun x
Ah Amy what a lovely post! Thanks for sharing the “dorm”. It is so wonderful that your kiddos get along so well and are so adept at sharing, I can see them sneaking into each others rooms for sleepovers when they have their own! x
I agree, we will have spent alllllllll the money for a load of empty rooms hahaha xx
I used to love sharing a room with my sister (most of the time!!) and having bunkbeds was ace. I’ve been seriously considering putting Molly and Alice in together as Alice’s room is tiny but then as Molly’s room is in the loft conversion it’s an awkward shape. I guess we could give them our big room but I’m not sure yet!!! As we don’t need Alice’s room for anything I think we will leave it for now but I think they would love being together. xxx
Their rooms sound lovely Lottie. Do they have or have they had little sleepovers in each others rooms? xx
All the time but Molly normally sneaks in to our room as she says Alice snores too loudly 🙂 xx
What a great post! I am currently pregnant with our second (8 weeks so shhh) and am starting to think about the bedroom situation. I just love our guest room so much and since our boy is only 18 months old, we would share the changing table anyway for example. Thanks for reminding me of the option to actually have them in one room!
Eeeeeeee how exciting!! Society totally makes us think they should all have their own rooms doesn’t it? Although, clearly there are loads of little dorms out there xxxx All the best with everything
Thank you for this blog! I grew up in a two bedrooms so house and shared a bedroom with my older brother until he became a teen and we moved house so he could have his own room. I can still remember getting my own room and it feeling so wronging at first! I missed Our night time chats so much, and looking back, they’re one of my most cherished childhood memories. I now live in a 2 bed terrace and am planning baby number 2 and considering the same option. May I ask at what age was the baby when you put it in the room worth the older siblings – and did it disturb them at first? Xx