Baby and Toddler Room Sharing – 8 Simple Steps

Baby and Toddler Room Sharing – 8 Simple Steps

Welcome to the world of Baby and Toddler room sharing! Sharing a room can be an exciting and practical choice for families, especially ours who didn’t want to pay nearly triple in rent to move to a 3 bedroom.  Whether you’re a new parent preparing to accommodate a growing family or seeking ways to optimize space and cut back on expenses (hello inflation), this guide is here to provide you with valuable insights, tips, and strategies for successfully navigating the realm of baby and toddler room sharing.

A Guide to Baby and Toddler Room Sharing

1. Transition The Baby and Toddler Early

Don’t wait too long to make the move.  Our youngest was 3 months when we moved her from her bassinet to the crib.  Instead of cold turkey placing her in the crib, we put the bassinet in the crib.  This allowed her to get used to her surroundings of the crib, while still familiar with her bassinet.

At almost 6 months, we decided it was time to move the baby into the bedroom with her sister.  I think this was a good stage to do it because it gave her a few months to be comfortable in her crib before changing her surroundings.

2. Put The Baby To Bed First

Our oldest used to go down at 7 pm and our youngest would go down at the same time.  However, when they started sharing a room we realized this could not happen.  The problem is she’s a toddler.  This means she wants to get up a few times because she miraculously needs to use the washroom again, or is all of a sudden starving, or will die without an ounce of water (you toddler parents know where I am going with this ).

By the time we thought she was finally settled, we would go put the baby in the crib and it would wake her up, therefore waking the baby up.  DISASTER.  The minute we switched up the routine it was a game changer.  We swapped routines and put the baby down at 7 pm and kept our oldest up till 8 pm.

This not only made our oldest FEEL like a big sister because she gets to stay up later, but it allowed an hour for the baby to settle, and sleep quietly while giving us some one on one time with our oldest.  Another super helpful suggestion was blackout curtains.   This way the room stays dark and cool and by the time our oldest went to bed, not only was she more tired, but she couldn’t see the crib.

3. Opposite Sides of The Room

If you have space, I highly suggest setting them up on opposite sides of the room.  Not only does this give them each their own personal space, but it makes it a lot easier to not wake the other one if/when you have to be up in the middle of the night.  They have a shared play area but separate sleeping arrangements.

Another suggestion would be if you had the room to buy a little room divider for at night to keep things private.

Pictured above is our Toddlers Big Girl Space

Creating Harmony: A Guide to Baby and Toddler Room Sharing

4. Act Quick When The Baby Wakes

Let me start by saying, thankfully our little one was always a good sleeper and would wake up 1-2x.  Once she started solids, we usually give her some baby food at 6:3o pm and by 7:00 pm she had a 6 oz bottle right before bed.  The full belly along with the soothing of the bottle and cuddles would put her right to sleep. I think due to being nice and full, she slept so well through the night and would wake around 4 or 5 am for another feeding.

But in reality, the answer to that question is – act quickly!  The second I’d hear even a squeak out of her at that time, I get up and make a bottle and sneak into the room quietly.  I’d try to catch it while she’d just start whimpering rather than when she’d get to the full blood-curdling scream so we can accomplish more of a dream feed.

So far, it works every time!  I will also say, our toddler has always been a pretty deep sleeper, so even on some of the nights that the baby was crying, our toddler slept through it.  On the odd occasion when our toddler would wake up, we’d just quietly tell her to go back to bed and we take the baby to our room to calm her and then when she’s soothed, settled and sleeping,  put her back in her crib.

Are you struggling as a new mom to overcome post-baby body issues?  If so, read what helped me

5. Nap Time Solution

Naps are a whole different story.  My daughter is three and she still naps every day.  I think the only reason why they sleep so well together at night is that it’s dark and my daughter can’t see the crib so it doesn’t tempt her to go and try to climb in her sister’s crib or play with her.

But in the daytime, when it’s light out and you can see everything, it simply doesn’t work.  So my solution to nap time is to let them nap in different rooms. Our toddler gets their shared room and I put the baby in the middle of our bed and that’s where she sleeps.

Another suggestion would be If you have a playpen or something of that sort, you could set that up in your room for nap time.

Since I made their room a playroom because it’s big enough, I prefer to have the baby sleep in our room for nap time so that it doesn’t discourage our toddler from playing with her toys when she wants to.

The baby’s space.  Where the bassinet is, is now the mini crib.

6. Be Consistent

Consistency is everything when it comes to training our girls.  Whether it is about their manners, potty training, sharing a room, bedtime routine, etc… Consistently remind your oldest that the baby is sleeping.  Encourage them to remember to be quiet so as not to wake the baby.  The more consistent you are, the easier it’ll be for them to understand and obey the rules.  A kid is still a kid though.  Our daughter still sings and talks and we have to remind her a few times to be quiet, but again, just stay consistent with it.

The Art of Baby and Toddler Room Sharing

7. Don’t Get Discouraged

Every kid and baby is different, so each will react differently.  I am simply sharing my experience and what has and hasn’t worked as a guide for you.  I am not saying that this is a foolproof plan, so please don’t take it that way.

Be prepared to make small adjustments and for some nights to be better than others.  Most importantly, don’t get discouraged on those nights and do not give up on it too easily because it does get so much better.  It has made our girl’s relationship even closer now that they share a room.

8. Do Consider Your Own Sleep

If you have consistently tried this for a while and you’re lacking in sleep, take a break!  Do what works for you and try again maybe a month or two later.  As moms and parents, we need our sleep.  I get it!  No harm in that and in no way is that a mom fail, so don’t feel it is!  Use these tips again in the future to transition your children into room sharing.

Check out some of these toddler tips for potty training

Finally, if you have any personal experiences about this, please share.  Whether they are good or bad, it’s good to openly talk about it so other parents can get an idea.  I encourage you to comment below or comment on my Instagram 

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