separating rooms to help with toddler bed naps?

Another toddler bed question...tied in with separating rooms. I posted before about the trouble we're having with naps now that we're in toddler beds. Some days they go to bed fine, but half the time they just play around. We've given them a few weeks to adjust to the new house, new beds, new baby sister...but they are still playing too much! I had to put a lock on the outside of their closet because one afternoon they got into the closet and CLIMBED up the shelves to pull down every single item of clothing hung on hangers. Then my son started climbing into bed with my daughter...and kicking her out! She stands next to her bed telling him to go back to his bed. When that's not happening, they are doing gymnastics across the room, jumping on the beds, rolling across the floor. It's making me CRAZY! I can't help thinking that if we just separated them into two rooms, they'd get bored much faster and go to sleep. Some days one of them will really try to go to sleep, but the other will keep trying to play. Then there are other days when they both go to sleep fine and it's no problem at all. Night time is great - they let me tuck them in and for the most part just go to sleep.

We planned to separate them eventually, but we were going to wait until they were 4 or 5 so they could have fun picking out their own decorations/bedding/paint colors to ease the transition. I'm really reluctant to do it so soon. I think they'll be really sad at first and I hate to add that into the equation with all of the other changes lately. I guess I'm asking for your opinions...when you split your kids, how old were they and how upset did it make them? Do you think I should wait it out a little longer before separating them to see if in a few more weeks things settle down again? I think they'll adjust to whatever we decide, but I honestly like them being together and it might break MY heart not to hear them singing together and having little conversations in the morning. Thoughts? How long would you hang in there with the crazy napping before you tried separate rooms?

 

I've separated my two for awhile for naps using a pnp in another room. Do you have a pnp or some other option to try them out for naps ?

 

I agree with this, I think that would be my first option before separating rooms. I did separate my two into separate rooms when they were 6 months old and they did well with the transition at that time. I'm not sure how they will have handled the transition if we made it at 2. I know with a newborn at home, you might not have time to do this, but during naptime, can you sit in there with them and if they get out of bed, quietly put them back to bed to reinforce that this is naptime? I had to do that with my DD once she realized that she could get out of her toddler bed and cause mayhem in her room. Good luck!

 

I felt the same way about separating them. I probably wrote something very similar to your second paragraph not too long ago on here. They are so close and like being together in the same room. Plus, I loved their room - such a happy peaceful place. I wasn't planning on separating them until 4-5, when they'd appreciate their own boy/girl space. I was sad for them and hated to do it. But we had a really bad toddler bed transition so we decided to do it for all our sanity.

We couldn't buy bedding and all the fun stuff to make it more exciting, because I wasn't ready to spend the money until they are in their regular (non-toddler) beds - I didn't want to buy new crib sheets, etc. Right now my daughter is in her toddler bed (converted from her crib) and my son is back in his crib with a crib tent (long story). But I did talk up the new room idea to them for a couple weeks and they would get excited to show anyone that came over where their new room was going to be. They also picked out the colors they wanted the walls painted. Every time I asked my daughter said pink (which was a no brainer), and my son said green. Even though all we did was paint, move their original furniture and put up shades and ceiling fans, I think the rooms are very cute and fit their personalities. We personalized them by putting some of their own toys in it - my daughter's doll house and my son's train table. Before, they never really had toys in their room. I'm also excited about hanging some pictures of them up, which I never did in their other room. I have 2 two peas in a pod frames, and I think it would be cute to have their twins picture in each other's room.

I have to say, of all the transitions we've gone through, this has been the easiest. I cannot believe how easy they took to it and how excited they were about it. They were so good about it and are so proud of their own room, that I am less sad about leaving their old room empty.

I may have tried just separating for naps, which may work for you. But mine never have and never would sleep in pack n plays. And for them, I think sleeping in anything other than their bed just signaled "party-time"! I also wanted to switch, because if they really were going to give up naps, I wanted a separate place for each to have quiet time. Luckily they have gone back to napping for now. And they do fall asleep faster because it's quiet and their twin isn't around to egg them on.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

 

Denise, thank you so much! Your post made me feel a lot better...so I talked it up and DD seemed excited about having her own room. DS, not so much, but we had to give it a try. DD went to bed with no problem without her brother climbing into bed with her. DS needed extra hugs, but both went down for a nap much faster. Fingers crossed that it will keep working! I'm going to take your advice and hang some photos - I think that's a nice thing for them to be able to look at a pic of their twin. Thanks again!!

 

I'm so glad to hear it's helped so far. I hope it continues!