Sharing a bedroom

Lately I am constantly separating my boys at naps and bed....they just won't sleep together right now.  Just tonight, they were up for a long time and I went in there to break them up and one had pooped on the carpet.  They thought it was just hysterical.  This is not the first time this has happened, but the first time in a while.   I am stumped on what to do.  I am at my wits end with discipline.  I have been consistent, I have taken away prized things, I have yelled, spanked, etc.  I am currently studying John Rosemond's practices, hoping this will help me get my family under control, but today I just feel defeated.  While earlier today they got themselves dressed, took themselves to the potty, barley fought and didn't use any bad words all day...at the end of the day, they pooped on the carpet. 
 
Can anyone offer any insight?

 

When they switched from cribs to toddler beds mine could not share a room and go to sleep together.

I split them for rest time- the easier sleeper lays on the couch downstairs with me in the same room.

At bed time for the last 6 months or so they go to bed one at a time. Whoever's special day it is goes to bed last and in the beginning it was about 45 minutes apart. For some reason if the first kid is asleep kid #2 doesn't wake them. They just love playing/getting into stuff/laughing if they are together and awake. We were tearing our hair out, too, but they are so used to it now that they go to bed much easier. Actually I'm just now contemplating doing a combined bedtime again. I *think* they can handle it now as I have shortened the spacing between the bedtimes and they will chat/giggle quietly.

I should add if they were being really squirrely in the last 6 months, together, I leave in my faster to fall asleep kid and pull out the more social boy into my room. I make him sit with a pile of books, not talk to him and wait about 10 minutes for the other boy to go to sleep. It lets him fall asleep uninterrupted and relaxes my social butterfly. Win-win!

 

My boys shared a room from birth until they were almost 3 years old. It got to the point that they would screw around for naps etc.  I finally had enough and separated them. I put one of them in what had been our toy room. Boy I wished I had done that months before. They finally quieted down because they didn't have each other to egg each other on! They rest peacefully now. I realize that not everyone has an extra room to do this but if they do....definitely separate them. I believe that everyone, no matter how old...need some quiet time by themselves.

 

Our girls are still sharing a room and, often, a bed at (not quite) four.

 

My boys are a month shy of turning 8 and they still share a room. There was a period of time though, when it got ugly! I think it was around 3 or 4 years old, maybe closer to 4. They took an afternoon nap until they were almost 5 and I did have to separate them because it became a free for all in their room. Once separated at nap time, they continued napping with no problems. Bed time was another issue! I would go through the whole routine of reading to/with them, tucking them in and laying down with them. However, if I left before they were both fast asleep, chaos ensued! There were a couple weeks where they kept taking their mattresses off their beds and propping them against the wall, or their bedframe, and using the mattress as a slide. I finally got so fed up I took the bedframes apart and moved them into the utility room and they slept on their mattresses, on the floor.
 
I guess I'm rambling here. I just want to say, yes, my boys went through a few months of messing around instead of sleeping at naps and bedtime, but they got past it. When I was in the middle of it, it seemed like it would never end and I didn't know what to do as we really don't have an extra room to separate them. Now that they are over that stage, I love having them together. I love popping into their room and finding them in the same bed reading to each other, or sleeping together. Neither one has said anything about wanting their own room, and they have learned to be really good about respecting the others space, things and feelings.

 

My b/g twins still share a room at almost 3.5years.  Luckily I have not had this problem (yet).  I would separate them for nap time, even if this means one is in your bedroom. If they have to share a bedroom at night, I would give the option of different bedtimes ago. Caitlin takes longer to fall asleep than Gareth  and at some point I think I will also have to have to different bedtimes.