The Toddler and the Infant - a Room Sharing Question

My girls are only a little bit further apart than your two. They are 27 months and 3 months. We also live in a two bedroom, and for now are keeping baby with us. As fantastic as my toddler is with her sister during the day, I am a little to nervous to leave them alone together, especially all night. Does a crib tent go all the way down, like through the bars? I know what it is, I jsut don't know exactly how it works.

My toddler loves to "share" with her little sister, by putting things in the crib. I am nervous that as baby gets older these will be things she shouldn't play with, and I won't notice right away. We are in the process of house hunting right now, so hopefully by the time we are ready to let baby sleep alone, she will have her own room.

What about putting the toddler to bed before the baby? Having baby fall asleep in the pack and play and then moving her into the crib after big sis is fully asleep?

Good luck, I know kids share rooms all the time, in fact I shared a room with both my little sisters when we were kids, but I just don't know how i would do it.

Why not put the crib in your room? My mom told me what she has caught my older brother doing (he was 2 when I was born) and I am amazed I am still alive... and that she left me alone with him after these instances. The fact that she knows she gets attention messing with the baby means that one day she may be too rough (not on purpose) and seriously hurt the baby. Obviously you can't just ignore her when she messes with the baby because that could lead to serious injuries to the baby too. If it were me, I'd move the crib in my room not right next to the bed (so the baby won't get attached to being a "co-sleeper" type situation) and the toddler would have to stay in her room. What happens the day she throws a hard toy and it hits her sister's eyes or her head really hard? That'll be a trip to the ER and praying nothing serious is wrong. Maybe you can invest in one of those Japanese room dividers and divide a portion of your room so the baby doesn't get accustomed to sleeping in your room.

Hahaha, people frown upon duct taping kids... some one yelled at me when my daughter's mouth was duct taped in the store... WHAT, she was yelling! Of course, I am just kidding. I don't even have duct tape in the house (hmmm, strange).

I agree with Kim, if there is any way to house hunt yourself, maybe it should be a future option :)

Duct tape.. by the case.

Can you put the big sister down first,, and slip baby in later? After a while maybe she wont bug the baby so much. She will get used to just going to bed again and not causing trouble. Then it can get back to same bedtimes for both. If you feel you dont get any special time with the toddler, let the baby spend time in a swing or where ever while you do the story and bedtime songs with big girl and let her know how special she is. It will take a few weeks and then be much better. But, get some duct tape as a back up plan, (o:

My husband said to tell you that duct tape is inhumane and you need zip ties instead!! :) I'm glad you found a great resource Try craigslist for a new used crib. Good luck!

... all I know is, that is a big age difference and developmentally speaking.
2 year olds, have absolutely NO fully developed impulse-control yet.
Yes, they throw things in the crib. Or grab the baby or can be rough or even climb in the crib etc.

A friend of mine, well her baby got a HUGE lump on her head, from her other older kid, hit baby on the head as it slept.
This was a Toddler aged kid.
The Toddler didn't do it out of spite. Toddler was just 'playing' with baby. And a Toddler in no way can supervise a baby nor even behave 100% appropriately when alone. With a baby.

I realize you are short on space, and other couples I've known in the same situation slept in the living room so the kids could have the bedrooms. If your daughters are going to stay together in the bedroom I would put your toddler down to sleep first. I'd also use a baby monitor so you can hear if she wakes up, since a toddler is capable of doing things they don't realize can hurt and the 5 month old is too young to stop her.

As far as crib tents it's recommended that if your child can stand it's time to remove them. Your little one can't stand, but her big sister can, and if she climbs in she could cause it to fall, or worse. This is what I just read, "Many parents complain that the crib tent is more of a safety hazard than a safety precaution. There have been at least three crib-tent related deaths among children within the last several years. Though the crib tents are made of breathable mesh material, the crib tent can become separated from the crib, and children's heads can get stuck in the gap. This can lead to strangulation and death. Children who are strong enough to pull down their crib tent have become entangled in the mesh. This is also a strangulation hazard."

Well, I kept the 'new baby' in the grown up bedroom (nursing on demand) until at least 10 months, or until he/she was standing up in the crib laughing at us while we tried to sleep.

Otherwise, I think after a (hopefully brief) transition period, the toddler will adjust to the new arrangements.

:)