8 Tips to Help Siblings Transition to Room Sharing
READY TO HAVE YOUR CHILDREN ROOM SHARE?
Are you tight on space? Do you want to have your children share a room? Or like me, where your 4-year-old asks you to sleep in her brother’s room.
Whatever your reason may be to have your children share a room, I have some tips to make the process a little easier. But before we get into that let’s talk about some benefits of room sharing.
WHY CHILDREN SHOULD ROOM SHARE?
One of the main reasons why children share a room is because families are short on space. Or are expecting another child and want to reuse the current nursery set up for the new baby so you are having to move the toddler out of their room and into their sibling’s room. Room sharing does so much more than open up space for another baby though.
Benefits of Room Sharing:
Teaches them how to share their space.
Increases their bond and connection with each other.
Makes them better communicators.
May improve sleep for some.
Makes the bedtime routine a little easier for parents since it’s all in one room.
Recently, I transitioned both of my children (ages 4 and 2) to share a room. My daughter moved into her brother’s room since he is still in a crib and we had an extra daybed in his room. Worked out perfectly. The first few nights were an adjustment for sure and I learned a few things that I want to share with you all.
8 TIPS TO MAKE THE TRANSITION TO ROOM SHARING A LITTLE EASIER:
WAIT TILL BOTH ARE INDEPENDENT SLEEPERS.
Holding off until all of the children that will be room sharing are independent sleepers would be ideal. Room sharing will go a whole lot smoother if they can go to sleep without crying or needing a parent to be present in order for them to go to sleep. Making sure they do not have any night wakings would also be ideal since if one child wakes up crying then most likely the other may also wake up. If you are transitioning to room sharing but have children that are not independent sleepers or have night wakings then just be extra patient with the process. You never know, they may surprise you and have better sleep with their sibling being nearby.
PREPARE CHILD/CHILDREN FOR THE TRANSITION.
If your child is at the age that they understand what is going on then be sure to spend several days preparing them for the transition. Let them pick out new bedsheets or a new stuffed animal they can sleep with. If they will be room sharing with an infant then prepare your older child to stay quiet or wait for mommy or daddy to come into the room if the baby starts crying in the middle of the night.
CREATE THE PERFECT SLEEP ENVIRONMENT.
Increase the volume on the sound machine slightly. If the room is a little larger then you can also use two sound machines (one by each kid). Make sure the room is blocking any outside light. You can use a nightlight as needed especially since older children may require one in order to sleep. If you have an infant and a toddler or preschooler then maybe put up a room divider if possible.
LONGER BEDTIME ROUTINE.
Spend a little extra time in the bedtime routine to provide cuddles, more storytime, and remind them throughout the routine about them sharing the bedtime. If you need to stagger bedtime then you can still do the bedtime routine for both together. See tip #5 on how to stagger bedtimes.
PUT THE INFANT OR YOUNGER CHILD TO SLEEP FIRST AND THEN THE OLDER CHILD.
It is easier at times to put the younger one to sleep before the older one especially if they have different bedtimes. But if your baby is older than 18 months then I would recommend putting both of them down around the same time. Once you tuck them into bed, you may notice your children talking to each other. This is fine and actually encouraged since it helps with bonding and building connection. If the talking gets too exciting or over 15-20 minutes then go in there and remind them that it is bedtime and that they can continue their conversation in the morning.
DO A DRAMATIC WAKE-UP IN THE MORNING.
Celebrate the fact that they slept in the same bedroom by clapping for them, doing a happy dance, or anything else that will get them excited. Let each of them know individually that they did a great job sharing the bedroom with their sibling. Remind them throughout the day as well what a great job both of them did sleeping in the same room. If the night was rough and they did not have a good sleep then maybe address those concerns during the daytime and remind them of the rewards again (tip #7).
IMPLEMENT A REWARDS SYSTEM.
I would probably provide them with a big reward on the first night of them successfully sharing a bedroom regardless of whether they slept well or not. It was a big deal that they shared a room and rewarding them will further emphasize that for them. But after that one big reward, I would recommend creating a sticker system that can eventually lead up to a reward at the end of the week or something.
NO TOYS OR OTHER DISTRACTIONS IN THE ROOM.
Before doing the transition, make sure to clear the room of any toys, books, or anything else that they can grab and get distracted with. If you are moving your children into a room that is not childproof then be sure to make it safe for them before you do the transition. Anchor all furniture to the wall so it cannot be tipped over.
Did these tips help?
Let me know in the comments if your children share a room, how the transition went when you did it, and how it is currently. Did you notice an improvement in their sleep or behavior amongst each other?
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NIGHT NIGHT,
Unnati
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