Those of you with twin daughters that share a room

Hello everyone!

I tried to search for this topic but couldn't find anything..

We have our girls currently in two cribs next to each other, in an upside down "L" shaped way so the side of one crib touches the other. They are quite regularly climbing out of their beds to mess around in their room or onto each others bed. We think for their 3rd birthday at the beginning of November, we should switch to toddler beds (we will get the beds made as it's cheaper than buying ready made ones).

So now we're redesigning their room and DH and I are not agreeing. He says we should have them as far apart as possible, I say keep it in the same shape and let them have the rest of the room to play in. The room is not that big but he says, they can then each have their own space and 'play' together in the middle....

What do other parents do with toddler girls sharing a room?

Thanks in advance!!!

 

Our girls are just a couple months younger than yours...

We originally had put their beds about 5 feet apart, with a nightstand in the middle (that held their fishtank) The nightstand was solid wood so I guess they thought they each had their own room.

Had to get rid of the fishtank (they decided to go swimming in it one day, despite it's small 5 gallon size!) and now their beds face the opposite direction, and are each up against a wall. Their room is only about 12 feet wide, and there's a window in the middle of that wall, so to me it looks proportionate (Sp?) When we first moved them this way, they slept in each other's beds for about two weeks before going back to their own beds...

They still have enough room to play how we set it up. They're getting twin beds for their 3rd b-day (they've been in toddler beds since 15 months) and we will leave the layout the same. We'll still have room for their beds, a bookshelf, their beanbag chairs, and a new table/chair tea set they will also get for their 3rd bday. And still have floor space to wrestle around.

Hope that helps!!

 

We went straight to twin beds that we put right up against the walls and between the two beds there was not even 2ft. They had a very small room so that was the only way we could put the beds.

I like the idea of them having their own space and playing together in the middle. Mine could play together at the foot of their beds and squeeze between the two beds to play. My girls also didn't sleep together either if yours likes to sleep together/near each other you might be better off keeping the beds close together.

 

Moving to beds opens a whole new world to them at naptime and bedtime. We put the beds on opposite sides of the room with a dresser in between where their heads were. When they want to play during the day, they'll get on each other's beds or just play on the floor. I think having their own space is important, but like Becky said if they are used to sleeping together, you may want to start that way then move them later.

 

My girls only have a dresser separating their beds, with each bed on opposite walls. I think about 3 ft is in between the beds. They have a throw rug in between their beds that they play on. It works well to have something in between the beds to have space. If you click on my facebook link, there is a picture of my girls' bedroom; we just got finished redecorating it and you can see how their beds are placed.

 

Mine are along one wall. There is less than a foot in between (not both girls, but doesn't seem relevant to the question so I'll answer ) and they jump from one bed to the other. I can't really put them across the room from each other because then there's no room for dressers etc...so We have them just separated. If they weren't going from one bed to the other then they would probably jump off one and to the other. They'll probably monkey around no matter what!

Might be prudent to have the beds made so that they are moved easily and you can have the luxury of trying it a few different ways if necessary... :hug:

 

We had the toddler beds in an L one in a corner and one down the wall but with about 2 feet between the beds. Now they are on opposite walls with a nightstand between them but mostly only sleep in one bed. Jessy gets cold easily so they tend to sleep better together

 

We have twin beds on either side of the bedroom. BUT, the bedroom is small. I think if it were me in your shoes, I would set it up like you were thinking to maximize space, and then once they get into twin beds, put them on either side of the room.

 

From this thread, I now realise, there are toddler beds and then twin beds to deal with... hahhaha

Thanks everyone!!

 

At age 3 we went straight from cribs to twin beds. They are maybe 2-3 feet apart, just a nightstand between them.

 

I think they will play wherever they want (in the middle, on each other's beds, under the beds, in the closet...) regardless of where you put the beds. However, when it comes to sleep time, I would put the beds farther apart.

We had to put ours in an L shape with about two feet of space between because that was the only way two twin beds would fit in the room. But it would be better if they couldn't touch each other while they're in bed. We have problems with Sarah leaning out over the head of her bed and messing with Amy, or Amy banging her nightlight against Sarah's bed, etc.

We actually intended for Sarah's feet to be near Amy's head, but Sarah insisted on turning around to have her head closer to Amy's. (It was also partly because the light from the hall fell too much on her face -- something we hadn't considered -- in the initial setup.) I just think more space would be better. OTOH, they're going to mess with each other no matter what.

 

My girls sleep in one twin bed. Their room (or our house for that matter) is not big enough for two twin beds that aren't touching each other.

This concept that kids need their own space is a very American thing and completel frivoulous. If you can give your kids their own space, that's fine, go ahead and do it if you want to. But tell you DH not to kid himself into thinking it's a necessity.

 

thanks so much for the additional replies, that really nails it for me. Twin beds and whatever we can get to fit into the room!!!!

 

We have a girl's beds going horizontally across the back/window wall. It works out well. There is one small set of plastic drawers in between their beds and we keep their humidifier on. also, because their cribs were convertible to beds, the back side is high and it blocks the window which I love as a safety issue. Having the beds going along the one wall makes the rest of the room so spacious. They have plenty of room to play.

 

wow, what a great idea! ! Have them up against the wall so the rest of the room is for playing. Why didn't I think of that?!?!?!! hahahhaa

Thanks so much for that brainwave!!!