# Sharing a Room with Your Toddler



## Binduspire (Dec 6, 2013)

My son is 19 months, and we share the bedroom. We live in a 1 bedroom apartment that is a nice size, and we both "fit" okay in the bedroom, but I just wonder how long I'll be able to pull this off. There's a queen in there now, and his new toddler mattress will soon be there, as well. I want him to have his own room, so that he can enjoy his own space, and so I can put his Montessori table and chair in there, and his bookshelf. Right now it's just packed away in the basement, (which is also growing tight for space).

I'm considering just giving him the entire bedroom, and then moving my bed into the front room, which is an enclosed porch type of sun-room. However, most of his clothes are in this room, as well as the glider and a bunch of his toys. I am already going through a massive purge and hoping to free up more space, but it just seems like it isn't enough. I live in an older converted house in Philly, so we have virtually no storage space in the closets, and as much as I love the neighborhood, I wonder if we will be forced to move into a less desirable area for the sake of us having our own rooms.

I'd love hearing from others who share their bedrooms with their toddlers, and learning how you make room for all of your stuff, without feeling cramped or cluttered. Unfortunately, the walls we have are solid, so there aren't a whole lot of shelving options. I think there must be a way to make it work, at least until he is a little older.

I've been looking into a bed-frame made in the mid-west that has the storage capacity of one dresser. There are six drawers on each side, and they are a good size, not like the more decorative kind of storage drawers seen on some contemporary beds. It looks like it might be a great option. Has anyone used anything like this?


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## justmama (Dec 24, 2002)

I'm moving with my 3 kids into a 2 bedroom apartment in 2 weeks and my 6 year old will be rooming with me since occupancy laws state that I can't have all 3 in one bedroom. But there's a MASSIVE walk-in closet in the room so I'm setting up a little reading nook and desk for her in the closet and we'll call it her special playroom to give her a little space to herself. She is gettng a loft bed though (Kura from Ikea) which is wonderful so I'm putting curtains around it and that will also give her a little more space to herself.


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## Binduspire (Dec 6, 2013)

Thanks, justmama.

Your little reading nook and desk area sounds cool! I hope the new move goes well for you.


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## SunshineRocket (Mar 12, 2012)

I lived in a tiny tiny one bedroom apartment with my two boys, for TWO years.. when we moved in my kids were 5 weeks and almost 3 years old.. we moved out just after the little one's second birthday.

It honestly wasn't bad. We kept our possessions minimal (I have noticed that the more room you have, the more stuff you accumulate!) The bedroom was only for sleeping or quiet time and the living room had all their toys and stuff in it, plus my desk.

Now, we've been in our two bedroom for a little over a year and honestly, my kids never play in their bedroom unless friends come over. Rarely will we all been in seperate rooms for any period of time. I wouldn't go back to a one bedroom now though. I'm a fulltime student so I need my own space to study.


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## Peony (Nov 27, 2003)

We currently rent a 3 bedroom house for 6 of us. Our new house that we are buying though is a 1200 sq ft 2 bedroom though! Space is really expensive here. Our current set up is 11y old has her own room. master bedroom is me, 7y, and 4.5y old. DH is with the 2y in the third bedroom. This has been really functional and the set up has varied some over the years but we've never had more then 3 bedrooms to work with and have had my adult sister live with us twice over the years which has taken a bedroom out of the equation.

New house will have 11y old with the 4.5y in the tiny second bedroom and the other four of us in the larger bedroom. We have a sleeper sofa in the living room that we use at times with sick kids, etc... Perhaps because we have only ever had minimal bedroom space, we just don't use the bedroom space other then for sleeping. We have one of "those" houses where all the neighbor kids hang out at, and they just all hang out and play in the kitchen/living room areas. I'm used to stepping over 8 kids in my living room playing. Sometimes some of the kids will escape to a bedroom for a while, but most of the time, everyone wants to be where all the action is which is the main living areas. We don't keep toys in the bedrooms except for a select few that are special and only one particular child's.

The two middle kids and I sleep on bunk beds that have the drawers on the bottom and one side. It has been very usable and I'm determined to find a way to take that bed with us in our new house. Which is actually a very old cottage with very low ceilings so that is easier said then done!

I truly have found that until the kids are much older, they really don't need their own space and even that isn't always "needed". I really wanted to make sure DD1 (the oldest) got some space that was mostly hers in our new house because there are so many little siblings that are noisy and destroy things, and she has 2-3 hours of homework a night. it can get difficult with her trying to set up her homework station on the kitchen counter at night while I am trying to cook dinner and the 2 year old is busy tearing up her algebra!


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## Mylie (Mar 15, 2004)

I live in a Tiny 700 sq ft 1 bedroom apartment with my 6 year old girl and 3 cats..it is dooable for as long as you want it too be..This is what I did to give everyone their "own" space...

The bedroom..I have my queen bed in there...L's dresser is in there as well as her toybox with her shelves and odds and ends..In the bedroom closet I have an old dresser for blankets and sheets ect..the top shelves are for storage..No kids are allowed in there because the hot water heater is in there so I dont' hang clothes in there....I have a safty latch on the outside of the door so little hands can't open the door..I pretty much have made the bedroom into L's room...But I sleep in there most nights with her...In the living room I have a Futon sofa that lays into a bed...if I sleep in it L ends up in bed with me...lol In my tiny hall closet I have my small dresser against on wall and my work clothes and L's dresses hang in there..The living room and Kitchen is basically one big room so I divided it by putting L's kitchen playset in the middle and up against my kitchen table to divide the two..works good..

We have been in this apartment for a year and probably won't leave unless I am lucky enough to get a 2 bedroom in HUD housing...but that could take time and I can't afford a bigger apartment without it right now so we are comfy..when you have lived on others couches you appreciate what is yours...lol When I feel like the walls are starting to close in and things are getting cluttered I look around and try to find a solution..like too many toys int he living room? Or things aren't getting put back where they should and I need to organize...My latest was I didn't like all the shoes and boots next to my door and the side of my fridge..it looked cluttered and the snow and salt was getting all over my floor..So what I did was buy a laundry basket from good will for a buck and put it in the closet...I also bought a small floor rug from goodwill for a buck and put right there for the boots to go on...Everything else like shoes and slippers went in the closet in that basket...Looks different now..a larger space and I don't have salt water drying all over my floor to have to clean up constantly..

You can do it..I think I could even fit another child in this apartment comfortably with L and I and still be okay..


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