Many families reach the point where they need their kids to share a room for one reason or another.
Perhaps there is a new baby coming and so the older siblings need to make room; maybe there was no option to begin with other than to have mum and dad in one room and the kids together in another.
Whatever your reasons, having them together can be a huge source of comfort to your children as they fall asleep and if they wake up during the night, and is said to also foster a really strong and unique bond between siblings.
(Via SquarePics.com)
If you are about to introduce this concept in your house, here are 5 helpful hints to get you started:
1. Know that change is bad
Just kidding. Change isn’t AT ALL bad, but it certainly isn’t the best friend of the small child or toddler. They absolutely love routine and dislike change on a huge level. So roll up your sleeves and be prepared for there to be an adjustment period while everyone gets used to the new arrangements. It will take a little bit of time for them to get used to it but it’ll be worth it!
(Via ProjectJunior.com)
2. Give them their space
If you are worried about your kids losing a little of their own personal identities by sharing a room, then why not create unique spaces around each of their beds? They can have their own wall stickers, bedclothes, lockers, books and toys that mean something to them, in their section of the room, only.
3. Stick to the schedule
If your kids go to bed at different times, then stick to that. You can put a younger one down at their time while spending some one-on-one time with the other. Just be sure to do the later routine (reading stories etc!) in a different room before the older one settles down.
4. Be consistent
Decide what the ‘deal’ is, and stick to that. So if you choose to let them have a little chat after lights out, then do that and set a time limit. If you want to let them play together for an hour in their room before lights out, then do that too. The point is, pick what will work for you and the kids early on and try to stick to the plan. It will help in the long run.
(Via Decopeques.com)
5. Have Plan B Ready To Go
Even with the most air-tight preparation in the world, kids are kids and something is bound to go awry. Someone will be sick or have a nightmare and you won’t want them to wake their brother or sister. Be prepared to temporarily move one kid to another room until everything settles back down again – not absolutely everyone in the house needs to have a bad night’s sleep!
Good luck and night night!
Have you successfully mastered this at your house? Share your tips in the comments on Facebook.
