Four in a room

Go big or go home as they say in Texas. 

Many people have asked me how we manage having four kids in one room, and so I thought I would post about it.

We decided to make a few changes to the kids’ room in order to move Ferris in with the big kids. With each child we’ve committed that they will sleep in the same room together, as early as possible to help with the adjustment for everyone involved, and that includes us parents. 

Again I feel the need to remind my audience that our children’s room is a very large room, and each child has ample space and then some to themselves. Having all four in the same room is something we wanted for our kids. 

**The real life bed of Moxie Wren, stuffed animal menagerie and all...
 

A few weeks ago we set up the big girl bed for Moxie. We put it in between Cutter and Scout’s bed, and began to get her used to the idea of the bed before we actually moved her into it. Moxie and Ferris are closest in age, and so Moxie would be moving into a bed the earliest of any of our children at just 19 months old. We waited a few days, and then when we knew we had a good weekend ahead of us, put her in the bed. She had a few nights of adjusting, testing her limits, and finding her new comfort in her bed. After two solid nights in her bed, I thought let’s just do it all at once, and put Ferris in the room with the kids for bedtime. He has been so much happier in his crib, the cradle in our room is still sufficient, but the crib is much more comfortable and spacious. For the sake of posterity – he moved into the room with the kids when he was 6 weeks old.

All four kids sleep in their room at night, and when Ferris wakes in the middle of the night I will usually nurse him and just keep him in our room so that if the kids wake earlier they won’t wake him up. I’ll probably stop that soon though since they are pretty quiet when they wake in the morning now.

So bedtime for us looks like this now:

6:30 – Ferris gets a bath first and then ready for bed; the other kids all get baths and dressed for bed
6:45 – Pajamas on, stories read, teeth brushed, devotions/bible time, prayers said
7:00 – Ferris nurses; Moxie, Cutter & Scout in bed and read/play quietly
7:15 – lights out and sleep time

Every day has its different ebb and flow, but most days this is our bedtime snapshot. There are exceptions here and there but everyone (me included) is happier and rested when we can stick to this schedule. Ferris will wake up once in the middle of the night to nurse and back to sleep, and will wake early morning (between 5 and 6) to nurse and back to sleep, and then up for the day between 7 and 8 am. Moxie, Cutter & Scout wake for the day between 6:30-7:00 and depending when Ferris has last woken up I’ll stay up to get some quiet time and a cup of coffee (or two) to prepare myself for the day ahead. 

For naps, Scout & Ferris nap in the same room and Moxie naps in our bedroom in the pack n play (which she sadly does know how to escape). Moxie and Scout go down for nap around 12:30 and nap until 4:00 (I know, I have great sleepers and I adore it), and whenever it’s time for Ferris I lay him down in the crib and he doesn’t bother Scout while she’s sleeping. Naps are a necessity – I’ll do anything to ensure that they all nap!

Proud big sister with her 8 week old brother

So that’s how we do four in a room. 

And lived to tell about it.