*I'm actually doing something a little different today.  I'm entering a post about something beyond our homeschooling.  I have always said I wanted to do more than just journal our school days, so this is a start.  Maybe this will be a start and I can start posting some deeper topics of discussion.*

We have moved two babies into older sibling rooms in the past three years.  I really enjoy the fact that our three boys share the same room.  Currently their ages are 7 1/2, 3 1/2 and just turned 2.   Here is how we did it.

When we were about a month and a half from the due date of our third son, Daniel, we decided to move our second son, Caleb—then 15 months—into his older brother, Joshua's room (then 5).  This transition went very smoothly.  We did make their bedtimes the same time and had a clear and constant routine at bedtime.  Of course, many nights became “party” time because sharing a room was new to them.  But Caleb was still in a crib and so the “party” consisted of them “reading” books in bed or tossing stuffed animals in and out of the crib.

Having them share a room was actually a great thing to do, in my mind, because it really helped them bond as brothers.  This transition was so smooth.  We never had any troubles.  If Caleb woke during the night, which he did do from time to time, I was amazed that Joshua would sleep right through it (loud crying and all!).  Of course, he is an extremely heavy sleeper!

In the mornings, Joshua would get out of bed as he normally would and come find me, like he was already doing.  Caleb was either still asleep or would be calling out to me to get him out of the crib.  It wasn’t long before Joshua learned how to take Caleb out of the crib and they would both come out of the room together in the mornings.
Then when our fourth child was about due we put our third son, Daniel, into the big boys’ room (he was about 16 months at that time).  The older boys were almost 3 and 6.  Again we stuck to a strict bedtime routine, made all their bedtimes the same (8:30) and the transition went smoothly.  There is a “party” in there about three or four nights a month.  But as long as they are not coming out of their room and as long as the noise is kept low we allow it.  Both older boys seem to be heavy sleepers because Daniel cries at night sometimes, still, and they don’t wake and I come in to get him.

We have contemplated moving Joshua out into his “own” bedroom (the playroom), but I so enjoy seeing all three of them together in the same room.  The dynamics of their relationship is enriched I think by them sharing the same room.  And none has ever asked to be removed or have their own place.  But Joshua is only seven (almost eight) and he may start feeling that way soon.  We’ll see.

We’ve also considered moving Joshua’s bedtime to 9:00 and keeping the younger ones’ bedtime at 8:30.  We would like some one-on-one time with Joshua.  And we think it will work.  There have been a few evenings when the younger kids have gone to bed and Joshua will be out with family and come home a little late.  When he goes into his room (as long as the other 2 are asleep) and gets into bed, it’s all just fine.  I even whisper a goodnight to him and tuck him in (remember we have heavy sleepers in this house!).  But I imagine if the later bedtime was still early enough that the younger two were not asleep yet, it might cause a problem with them waking up fully again.

Well, this has gotten really long.  I have been trying to see if I can remember everything we have done.  Right now Joshua is in a twin bed, Caleb is in a toddler bed, and Daniel is in a crib (at 26 months—we’re not ready to move him out yet!).  And we’ll probably keep it that way awhile until Daniel IS ready for a toddler bed.