Bedroom/House Situation

I'd have the older 2 share the bigger room, as it will foster closeness and learning how to share. My brother and I shared a room until I was 10 and we had a 5,000sq ft home, so it was a room issue. We are super close, or were until he married this crazy woman, but that's a story for another day. ;)

Let them pick out paint, etc and decide on things together. Explain it as a reward and not a punishment that the new baby is coming. Just explain that they need their sleep and they are the big brother and sister, so if the baby cries, it won't wake them up. Maybe get them a combined gift for their room

If they'll share, let them for a couple years then give the bigger room to the two of the same gender or move someone to the basement - as long as there is an egress from down there. There has to be a LARGE window and easy way to get out or a door to get out in the case of a fire.

All 3 of my kids share a room by choice. Well ok my boys have no choice, but my daughter has her own room, which does nothing but store her clothes and bed and toys, because she would rather sleep with the boys. it has been this way for 3 years or so now. My middle son who is now 9 has gotten so bad he won't sleep in his room alone, which is an issue,kinda, but the kids are happy together and each have a bed in there. Bunk beds are great, or you can do a trundle bed, i was always nervous even with the rails that someone would fall. Knockoffwood.com has some great plans for trundle beds that you can build yourself much cheaper than buying new, and for bunk beds as well, and if you're handy you could probably alter a toddler bed plan and do toddler size bunks to save even more room depending on how tall the kids are. good luck and congrats on the new baby, i admire your restraint, we go in tomorrow for our ultrasound and I'm dying to find out what we are having this time around.

That plan sounds okay.

You can always keep baby in the bassinet in your room in the basement at night so that the older two won't wake up when it does.

Congratulations on a new baby! You could just get a bassinet ready for your room and decide what to do once baby gets here and you've had time to settle in. Or (and I like this plan better) you can do your basement idea, but start with baby in a bassinet with you for a few months. Also you could buy a high quality video monitor for peace of mind. You probably don't have as much to buy for a baby this time around so think of it as what you need to take care of three. Have fun!

My 5 and 6 year olds have been sharing bunk beds (and a room) since forever. The have the middle size room (my guy and i have the master bedroom) and the baby has a room the size of most walk in closets. Our house is impossibly small (we had to move in a pinch and are saving money to build our own house in this neighborhood). I would say no to the basement idea just because that is common space and you don't want to take away from the rest of the family. If moving in the future in an option, the baby won't know how small their room is. The way I see it, I've got until my son is about 5 years old before we officially outgrow this house. We keep a lot of the extra furniture in our room since we have the space for it. You will rearrange things about a dozen times before you get it where you'd really like it! Anything big, like bookshelves, can go to the basement. BUNKBEDS ARE OUR SAVING GRACE!! We got ours super cheap at big lots, and they convert into 2 separate beds if need be. Best wishes!

I agree. You have baby monitors.

My hubby and I had our son in our room with us briefly... About 6-8mos. Then he and I moved to our main floor and let our son have our room. Now our daughter (7) is in one of the two bedrooms upstairs, and our son (2) has our old room upstairs with us being on the main floor. Works just fine. We use a baby monitor for our son (until he gets into a big boy bed anyways).

I would move you to the basement. You will most likely be doing that a few years later anyway. You can even keep the baby in a bassinet the first few months in your new bedroom.

Congratualations!

I suggest moving the two older children in together until the baby is older and sleeping through the night regularly. Then when it's time, talk to your kids, tell them that someone has to share with the little one and what ever the gender of the new baby, move the two into the larger room. By then your older child who is sharing with the baby should be old enough not to keep the younger awake and with the baby sleeping through the night, it shouldn't keep the older up either.

Just an idea to think about, also separate bedtimes for the older and younger children helps while they are young. The baby goes down first, get good and asleep before the older goes in the room.

Good Luck.

(Shared a room with the "new" baby then had to share with my older sister. All is well.)

This is just my 2 cents... I'm from a big family (3 boys, 2 girls)... Having my own room, especially after sharing with my sister for a few years, was a huge deal, and it helped smooth out a lot of sibling tension.

That being said, your 5month old son is not going to really understand the change (and probably resent it to some extent) as your daughter might.

If possible, you might want to try to include your daughter's preferences in whatever changes come up, so that she doesn't feel like everything is happening "to" her, but instead that she is able to help shape and control her own life.