Would you sleep upstairs and kids downstairs?? Help!

amother

Sun, Jun 13 2010, 3:49 pm

My new house has a huge master bedroom upstairs, and three bedrooms on ground floor - cape/loft style. Many people in my neighborhood with the same layout did some renovations to make another 1-2 bedrooms up there. DH says if we move in as is, we save up for a full extension (4+ bedrooms upstairs) in a few years. If we do work now, he's not tearing it down when I feel we "outgrew" it - it'll have to be awhile. Would you sleep upstairs and your kids downstairs?? Right now I only have one 15 month old, which is even scarier, no? One kid alone downstairs?? DH has no problem with it. We CAN sleep in one of the rooms downstairs but we waste the whole second floor, his/her sinks, huge walk in closet, etc. My sisters say leave that for guests but we feel it's a waste. WWYD? Anyone have this arrangement?? Is it safe? TIA!!

chocolate moose

Sun, Jun 13 2010, 3:51 pm

You can't know a child's nature in advance. We always rented a nice 3 bedroom apt, with a bedroom up front and 2 in the back, and we always gave our daughter the front room because we wanted her to have a nice room.

She's older now, and is still afraid of the dark at times. And has abandonment issues. Sad

Ronit

Sun, Jun 13 2010, 3:54 pm

I don't think it's bad, as long as you have a proper intercom system & you have it on every night.

It also means going down in middle of the night if the baby gets up. No fun.

amother

Sun, Jun 13 2010, 4:02 pm

OP here. I'd definitely have the intercom on all night and going down won't be fun, but what about safety - ground floor, break-ins, etc. people are really guilt-tripping and scaring me.

Isramom8

Sun, Jun 13 2010, 4:06 pm

I would feel uncomfortable, but then again, my kids that age and older cosleep with the parents or siblings (in the same room I mean, not in the same bed).

Raisin

Sun, Jun 13 2010, 4:07 pm

my concern would be you have to be quiet downstairs when your kids are sleeping in the evening.

but, on the upside, while your kid is falling asleep, you will be close to her.

imato5

Sun, Jun 13 2010, 4:53 pm

I feel 15 months is way too young to be down by themselves. We just started letting my son sleep downstairs and he is 8, and I still dont feel so so comfortable with this

myself

Sun, Jun 13 2010, 5:00 pm

When I say that we were upstairs and my parents downstairs, that was only when I was 4 yrs.
When we were younger we lived in an apartment so didn't have that problem.

life'sgreat

Sun, Jun 13 2010, 5:10 pm

Is there no place upstairs that you can currently place a 15 month old? A big walk in closet? Even a hallway leading to your room (if it's wide enough, right setup)?

amother

Sun, Jun 13 2010, 7:40 pm

OP here. There is a big walk in closet but way too claustrophobic. I've seen two houses with the same lay-out so far, and both made a 2nd decent sized children's room and a baby room the size of a small closet - just fit a crib and small dresser. There is no window, it's tiny, I was horrified. I would never close the door and leave a child in a room that size. If my son sleeps downstairs, he has a normal room, window, closet, and I'm right there until 11, 12:00 after that, I'll have a moniter. I'm still iffy, though. My friend just pointed out that a moniter can't alert me to a fire or break-in. I need positive feedback! Does anyone have this arrangement? Thanks all for your replies!

Lady Godiva

Sun, Jun 13 2010, 8:18 pm

I wouldn't sleep on a different floor than my children, mainly because I check on them at night, many times.
Why don't you sleep on the second floor with the baby in a room on the same floor as yours? You can make the master bedroom into a guest suite for now.

the world's best mom

Sun, Jun 13 2010, 8:20 pm

My kids all come in to my bed at night. I dislike steps, so I wouldn't do that. I would sleep downstairs with the baby and let guests sleep upstairs. I don't know if I would call it unsafe, though.

Cookie Monster

Sun, Jun 13 2010, 8:22 pm

OP, you never know when your baby will learn to climb out of his crib by himself. When that happens, will he know where to find you? Seems a bit frightening to me.

Yakira

Sun, Jun 13 2010, 8:23 pm

amother wrote:

I would set his room up downstairs with a crib and his clothing and everything, he can nap there and play there during the day, and than just overnight, have a pack and play upstairs for him to sleep in nearby.

louche

Sun, Jun 13 2010, 8:56 pm

I wouldn't be comfortable with my kids downstairs even now--and they're all over 18. My feeling is if ch"v someone breaks in, he's better have to go through dh and me to get to the kids. IMO a baby should be sleeping as close as possible to the parents without actually being in the same room--certainly not on different floors.

whoami

Sun, Jun 13 2010, 9:15 pm

If the master is really huge, as you say, then maybe you can just sheetrock a small corner off, almost like a nursery for at night.
Then again, I live in a cape too, but I have two bedrooms upstairs. I sleep upstairs with two of my kids (the two younger ages 5 and 3) and my older ones (8 and 7) sleep downstairs. It has been this way at least two or three years already. In the beginning I was paranoid, now I got used to it. I check the windows before I go upstairs every night, and we are all fine with it.

Basimcha

Sun, Jun 13 2010, 9:37 pm

I wouldn't let my child sleep downstairs alone. If the master bedroom is huge enough I would work something out to have my child next to us, and maybe you can just block it off with a wall or something

Plonis

Sun, Jun 13 2010, 9:43 pm

Sounds like you're worried mainly about fires and break-ins. It's probably much cheaper to get a fire alarm system with burglary protection installed than to renovate your house. There are also fire alarms that send radio signals or whatever so that if there is a fire ANYWHERE in the house, ALL of the fire alarms go off. There are also plenty of burglar alarm options.