We live in a small home.
There are six of us living in a 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom home.
Like all families expecting a multiple birth, we did some clever finger counting and came up with a plan on how to squeeze us all in, because moving to a bigger home is not an option.
I have since discovered that pre-birth plans and REALITY are two very different things!
The Plan
Newborn twins to 4 months in bassinets in our room.
At 4 months twins moved to cots in 'Kids' room with Chook.
Chook in toddler bed. Three littlies in one room. Teenager in his own room. Parents in their room.
Reality
Strawberry and Ooffa were in our room until 9 months of age. When they out grew the bassinets, we had to move the cots into our room with us. It was apparent that Chook was a safety risk to little babies and there was no way they could all share a room. (Chook was 2 years old).
At 9 months Ooffa decided that Mama was on tap 24/7. A move was neccessary.
The kids room was set up with two cots for Strawberry and Ooffa and Chook was moved into our room!
And this is how it has stayed, until recently when we were gifted a bunk bed.
We decided it was time to resurrect the plan with alterations.
![Toddlers Sharing Rooms]()
The New Plan
Chook gets top bunk.
Strawberry gets bottom bunk.
Ooffa gets toddler bed.
Reality
At 23 months of age Strawberry went into the bottom bunk. Her cot got sold so this HAD to work! We figured she was the best one to try it out with as she loves her sleep. Strawberry took to it like a duck to water! No problems putting her to bed or getting her to sleep. Whew!
Night 1 - Ooffa needed me to settle him. He became quite distressed if I tried to leave the room so I began rubbing his belly, then slowly patting his leg, all the while singing "Golden Slumbers". After a while I kept singing "Golden Slumbers" but stopped patting him. I gradually moved away from him. One and a half hours later he was finally asleep and I could leave the room.
Chook was so excited about sleeping in his new bed. Because it was taking so long to get Ooffa to sleep, Chook was allowed to watch a movie. When I came out Chook had fallen asleep! Triple T Dad carried him through to his new bed and tucked him in.
Which is when Ooffa woke up! I put him into my bed with me {sigh}.
During the night Chook woke up and came to our bed. Because Ooffa was already in there I directed Chook into Ooffa's toddler bed.
5:30am the following morning Chook and Strawberry are playing swinging monkeys off the bunk bed. Hmmmm...
![Toddlers Sharing Rooms]()
![Toddlers Sharing Rooms]()
Night 4 - Toddler bed moved back into our room. Ooffa in his cot. Strawberry in her bed. Ooffa goes to sleep first. Followed by Strawberry. Chook back in the toddler bed in our room!
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There are six of us living in a 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom home.
Like all families expecting a multiple birth, we did some clever finger counting and came up with a plan on how to squeeze us all in, because moving to a bigger home is not an option.
I have since discovered that pre-birth plans and REALITY are two very different things!
The Plan
Newborn twins to 4 months in bassinets in our room.
At 4 months twins moved to cots in 'Kids' room with Chook.
Chook in toddler bed. Three littlies in one room. Teenager in his own room. Parents in their room.
Reality
Strawberry and Ooffa were in our room until 9 months of age. When they out grew the bassinets, we had to move the cots into our room with us. It was apparent that Chook was a safety risk to little babies and there was no way they could all share a room. (Chook was 2 years old).
At 9 months Ooffa decided that Mama was on tap 24/7. A move was neccessary.
The kids room was set up with two cots for Strawberry and Ooffa and Chook was moved into our room!
And this is how it has stayed, until recently when we were gifted a bunk bed.
We decided it was time to resurrect the plan with alterations.
The New Plan
Chook gets top bunk.
Strawberry gets bottom bunk.
Ooffa gets toddler bed.
Reality
At 23 months of age Strawberry went into the bottom bunk. Her cot got sold so this HAD to work! We figured she was the best one to try it out with as she loves her sleep. Strawberry took to it like a duck to water! No problems putting her to bed or getting her to sleep. Whew!
Night 1 - Ooffa needed me to settle him. He became quite distressed if I tried to leave the room so I began rubbing his belly, then slowly patting his leg, all the while singing "Golden Slumbers". After a while I kept singing "Golden Slumbers" but stopped patting him. I gradually moved away from him. One and a half hours later he was finally asleep and I could leave the room.
Chook was so excited about sleeping in his new bed. Because it was taking so long to get Ooffa to sleep, Chook was allowed to watch a movie. When I came out Chook had fallen asleep! Triple T Dad carried him through to his new bed and tucked him in.
Which is when Ooffa woke up! I put him into my bed with me {sigh}.
During the night Chook woke up and came to our bed. Because Ooffa was already in there I directed Chook into Ooffa's toddler bed.
5:30am the following morning Chook and Strawberry are playing swinging monkeys off the bunk bed. Hmmmm...
Night 2 - We knew we couldn't continue the bedtime routine from the night before or have a child sleeping the whole night in our bed, so we set the Port-A-Cot up in our room, just in case. This time we went with all three to bed at the same time. Disaster! Ooffa ended up in our room in the Port-A-Cot. Chook in the lounge room, falling asleep on the couch. Triple T Dad and I carrying both sleeping boys back to their beds.
5:30am the following morning, swinging monkeys off the bunk bed AND the curtain rod. Hmmmm...
Night 3 - New plan. Ooffa got his cot back. Put to bed first. Sound asleep within 5 minutes! Strawberry to bed. Chook to bed. Chook unfortunately mucking around and a big risk of waking Ooffa up, so he ended up in our bed for the night because he's too big for the Port-A-Cot! Moved him to his bed once he was asleep.
5am the following morning Chook had Strawberry and Ooffa awake and running riot in the room! Time for a new plan!
So, this is how our sleeping arrangements are organised at the moment. Every now and again Chook asks to sleep in his big bed. At this time we say no. Maybe around Chook's fourth birthday we'll try again, but not just now.
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