Siblings won't share beds?

[DisneyRegulars]

Oh my. This is a terribly naive statement.

I would not have opposite sex children sharing a bed once they reach age 10 at most.

I think it would also be naive to think that making them not share a hotel room bed would prevent anything.

Sent from my phone using DISBoards Ap, please excuse any typos and autocorrect mistakes.

 

[sjs314]

Growing up I always shared a bed with my brother when we travelled. There was never a question of whether I wanted to or not, it's just what happened. I feel like I read extremely frequently on these boards about how families needs x number of beds because their kids "won't share beds". What's up with this? For parents of these kids can you explain this to me? I just really don't get it, and would like to understand. Why won't they share beds, and why wouldn't you just make them?

Sent from my phone using DISBoards Ap, please excuse any typos and autocorrect mistakes.

This is purely just a curiosity question because it seems so strange to me. I'm not at all questioning parenting skills or style.

I totally agree with you, my two boys always shared a bed when we traveled it was just the way it was.

 

[amym2]

I've slept in the same bed as my DD and wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy- kick, arm in the face, kick, knee in my back, etc. The couple of times we've made our kids (DS11 and DD9) share a bed, they've been up multiple times. Not pleasant for anyone. That's why we joined DVC and get one-bedrooms at OKW or others with sleeper chairs. When we travel other places, we bring an air mattress or stay in suites. It's the only way any of us get any sleep!

 

[katiee37]

As a only child growing up, I either slept in my mom's bed or on trips with my grandparents, ended up on the couch. I never got much sleep on vacations growing up...

Now when we travel with extended family who have a 7 year old girl and a 5 year old boy, they often share a bed. They're pretty much the same small size so even if one spreads out (which is frequent) they never really are invading the other's space. Once they hit puberty I imagine this will change though.

 

[Tjaleks]

My boys shared a bed until they got too big to share. They are 17 & 18 now and 6' & 6'1". Now way, no how are they sharing a bed. Usually when we travel we try and stay at an extended stay w/ two rooms and a pull out couch. This way everyone has their own space.

 

[Dani784]

Oh my. This is a terribly naive statement.

I would not have opposite sex children sharing a bed once they reach age 10 at most.

If your children are being inappropriate you've got bigger problems than bed sharing. Luckily, I have two boys and two girls so by the teen years I won't have to worry.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[melanell]

I can remember a few vacations when 3 of us shared one bed, LOL!

Later we'd swap back and forth...one kid would sleep on the sofa or floor and the other 2 would share the bed.

We'd keep alternating who got to sleep alone and who got the bed. It was a 6 of one, half dozen of another situation.

You get the more comfortable bed, but you have a sibling stealing blankets and kicking you. Or you got to sleep alone, but on a lumpy sofa or hard floor.


We loved those vacations, so obviously the sleeping arrangements didn't really bug us too much.

 

[SmallWorld71]

The thing about kids is, since they usually have their own bed at home, their sleeping selves often try to take over the whole bed even though there might be someone else in it.
All our kids can be difficult to share a bed with:

DS17 is 6'4", big and kicks/ moves.
DS14 is a skinny little thing, but he moves a LOT. It is not unheard of for him to fall out of the bed or wake up with his feet on his pillow when we are traveling.
DD10 will automatically sleep up against whoever she is sharing with. Even if you shove her to the other side of the bed, she will roll back. (At home, her bed is against the wall and she sleeps up against her stuffed animals.)

We've tried different combinations over the years, but on our most recent trip what worked best for everyone to get sleep was:

1) DD and I shared - I don't move a lot so it was OK that she was right against me.
2) DH and DS14 shared. Even though DS14 moves constantly, DH falls asleep VERY easily. So even if he got woken up he just went right back to sleep.
3) DS17 gets his own space. It's just not safe to put him with one of his siblings the way he kicks.

For us, it's not a boy/ girl thing. It's a get some sleep thing!

 

[Eureka]

I either sleep in the same bed as somebody in my family, or I have the option of the couch or the floor. Why people need extra beds for everyone is beyond me.

Exactly. My kids are both boys 12 and 10, and have said they don't like sharing a bed, but they do it when needed. They know we are not going to get two rooms for just four of us. Our first time to Disney, they were 5 and 7, overtired/overstimulated and could not get to sleep. At that point, DH and I split up and each shared a bed with one kid, which for some reason, helped settle them down.

 

[spacemountainmom]

The first time we went to WDW as a family of four dd12 and ds8 shared a bed. However ds is a very active sleeper. He always kicks, flails, rolls all over and many times he ends up with his head at the opposite end of the bed in the morning. DD did not get a whole lot of rest that trip.

We thought about trying dad & lad and mom & girl, but dh really didn't want to sleep with the wild child either. The next trip we brought along an air bed and ds slept on that. We would just tip it up during the day and mousekeeping brought extra sheets and pillows for him. We do that any time we travel now.

For us it's really not about the kids being difficult or bratty, it's about getting a decent night of sleep. No one gets a decent night of sleep if they share with ds! It's only gotten worse, he's just 14 and is 6' 3". He's all arms and legs. I do pity his future wife.

 

[PelletierBears]

If your children are being inappropriate you've got bigger problems than bed sharing. Luckily, I have two boys and two girls so by the teen years I won't have to worry.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

OMG ...no kidding!

 

[PelletierBears]

I just remembered a line from Chevy Chase's Christmas Vacation movie when the teenage daughter has to share a bed with her brother to give her bed to the grandparents and she says to the mom:

"I have nightmares about what he does when I'm not laying beside him."

 

[TwinkleKS]

My twins are girls, so they share a bed and I assume they always will on vacation. There is a 15 year age difference between DS 2 and DS 17, so I don't make them share a bed So we need four beds if we all go and three if DS 17 isn't with us. I shared a bed with my brother or I had to sleep with my mom and he slept with my dad up until we quit going on vacations together. I guess if we had to, DH could sleep with DS 17, I could sleep with DS 2, and the twins could sleep together. But normally we aren't in a position where we have to do that. We just get a bigger room / suite / whatever.

 

[DisneyRegulars]

Thank you everyone for enlightening me! Honestly all I could think before was "geez, there sure are a lot of people with bratty kids", but now I totally get it. So thanks, I feel so much better now being able to understand.

Sent from my phone using DISBoards Ap, please excuse any typos and autocorrect mistakes.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Oh my. This is a terribly naive statement.

I would not have opposite sex children sharing a bed once they reach age 10 at most.

Wouldn't mom/daughter, dad/son be an option, though? I get the discomfort with opposite sex children of a certain age (though, TBH, I'm pretty sure I shared a bed w/my brother on family vacations through when I was at least 12 (he would have been 17) , and it was never a big deal).

 

[rebekah8284]

Generally I always had to share with my sister on trips. However we did go on a trip to the state capital when I was 13 and my brother was 15 and we had to share a bed. I slept under the sheets and my brother slept on top of the sheets with just the comforter. I didnt have a problem with it and nor did he we wouldn't make my parents pay more for a room to have another bed.

 

[alc571]

We don't have this issue in our family, as we only have one child. When I was a kid, however, I never had to share a bed with my younger brother. My Dad shared with him, and I had to share with my Mom. It was like that for any hotel stay we had. We mostly camped though, giving us all our own beds.

 

[luvmy3]

It's not that they would do anything inappropriate its about them being comfortable. What if the boy has "morning wood" or nocturnal emissions or te girl has a period and leaks at night. When your dealing with changes like this I feel their feelings should be taken into account.
As for wait until the kids ask or just do it, I would probably judge the situation. But we are dvc so for our Disney trips its easier to afford a bigger room when we need it.

Exactly.

I don't get the whole "cant you just make them share attitude". If a family can afford a room/suite with enough beds to accommodate all their kids, why would anyone force their kids to share a bed

 

[Dani784]

Exactly.

I don't get the whole "cant you just make them share attitude". If a family can afford a room/suite with enough beds to accommodate all their kids, why would anyone force their kids to share a bed

That's assuming they can. We can't afford a bigger suite just to ensure all four of our kids have their own beds. They'll share or they'll sleep on the floor or they won't go. It's tough enough affording the vacation without having to provide a separate bed for each. I don't get my own bed. I share with my husband who cover hogs and snores. We make do. So will they.

 

[Cinderella94]

I'm 19 in 2 months and my brother is 15. We shared a bed in Disney up until about 2 years ago? The last few years of doing it, we hated it. Now we have an air mattress that I sleep on because I'm the shortest. I'm happy with it.