our recent move has sparked a big ole pile of topics to write about. as if i didn’t have enough articles planned, i was suddenly slapped in the face with so many fun and exciting ideas i can barely sleep at night. okay, that is a bit of an exageration, i can barely stay awake is the truth really. i am sure many of you know how incredibly tiring moving can be, not only physically, but the dynamic of your family changes a bit. routines get a tad wonky, everyone must get used to the new place and the things it offers. we have adjusted quite well and are 1.5 (yes i said 1.5) boxes away from being completely unpacked. (doing a slight happy dance here.) one of the biggest changes for us was the fact that the boys went from having their own rooms down the hall from one another, to sharing a 10.5 x 10.5 ft space. to say this stressed me out would be quite the understatement. a bit over two weeks in and i do believe we have finally gotten a grove down. i’m sure many of you have been doing the “room share” forever, but for those of you who may see this in the near future… i’d love to share with you a few tips that have made it work for us!
make an exchange
one of the first decisions i made was to leave the crib behind. some dear friends of ours went the pack-n-play only route through their little ones first years. are these children scarred? not a bit. we have a great pack-n-play and to be honest our pali crib was falling to pieces. the little green machine, as we refer to it takes up so much less space and the baby will be just fine in it until we are ready to go the bunk bed direction.
hang it all
that’s right, if you look at the image i am referring to you’ll notice i hung even the onesies. the more you hang, the less space you take up in the dresser (see below). simple as that.
turn up the noise
the noise machine that is. both of our kids (ages 4 & 8 months) have slept with a white noise maker since day one. in the new room share, each little guy has his own near his bed. i love how it blocks out unwanted noises, and i do believe it creates a calming environment for sleep. don’t. leave. home. without. it.
let them in on the action
getting our children interested and involved with art is one of the best gifts we can give them. right before little brother was born, i took our then three year old out to choose the best of the best colors for his new project. he had a blast creating these pieces (one for his room, one for baby brother’s). of course we brought these along to the new room share, and he was thrilled to see them up there together. let them know how much you respect their hard work and show them they too have a say in what their space looks like.
give them a little something to call their own
big brother has his special toys of course, he has his favorite blanket and his clothes. he also has this hook. it is his. it currently holds his shark towel, next week it might hold his star wars back pack, and come summer it could be the perfect place for his swim shorts. doesn’t matter what he puts there, it’s his hook. allowing our little guys to have ownership over even something as small as a hook lets them know they are just as important and independent as they were when they had their own space.
share the space
this is obvious, however i am referring to the dresser this time. sigh, this white dresser has come through the trenches and is a cherished piece of our furniture. it has moved with us many times and i just love the imperfections. this heavy hunk of wood used to be baby brother’s dresser, but deciding to hang anything that could be hung, i was able to make enough room to share it with big brother. the left three drawers belong to baby boy, the right to the bigger guy.
raise the bed
when my good friend jeni suggested we raise big brother’s bed for storage i laughed. partly because i was envisioning the four year old climbing mt hood to get to his bed, however, also because why the heck hadn’t i thought of this before?? funny thing is it really hasn’t been a big issue, we just give big brother a lift up and he does just fine. the things i have been able to store under there… astonishing. so glad i let her go with her gut, thanks friend!
think outside the box with toy storage
i love these red bins. mostly because they are red, but i also love the fact that they cost $1.90 each. that’s right. bed, bath, & beyond had them after summer for such an amazing price. i do believe i took them all, but they have come in so handy. these guys are just the right size for dinosaurs, cars, sports stuff, and baby toys.
use them for the decor
so did you see this one coming? : ) of course, last but certainly not least… add their adorable faces to the decor. frame playful images of them together, mount a photo on foam board, or get creative with a collage frame. this element is by far my fave, and i hope you find it as special as i do.
i am curious what other moms do, how do you survive the room share as the children get older? i look forward to your thoughts!
