Close Quarters

Spending several weeks on vacations have made the boys closer than ever.  They have always been pals but have become more inseparable because they have had to share close quarters with each other.  Once returning home they decided to continue this closeness and share a bedroom together.  This required a couple of changes to happen, we had to move Colby's full bed downstairs to the guest room and move the furniture in Lincoln's room into Colby's room.  They were, and are, ecstatic with the changes and seem to have no regrets about the decision.

As with any big move, respecting each other's space becomes a factor. For example, Colby has always called out to check  if he can get out of his room in the morning (even with a clock in his room) or called out to us in the night if he needs to use the bathroom (which he has been told he can just go). I was concerned that with his brother in the room with him he would continue to do this and wake Lincoln up even though I had made it very clear that he does not need to call out in the night.

We are two nights into this experiment and so far things have gone well.  Bedtimes have gone alright, Tom and I expected the talking and giggling and the boys finally fell asleep fairly quickly. The first morning I woke up to Colby in my face saying "Mom, do you think it's alright to flush the toilet or do you think it will wake Lincoln up?" I was quite startled but very proud (and tired) all at the same time.  And then last night, again being very startled at first hearing someone in the hallway, Colby got out of his room to use the bathroom.  After telling him for a year he finally does these things on his own so as not to disturb his brother.  He's such a good kid that in the future when he smacks Lincoln in the night to wake him up I'll have a hard time believing his brother but that's what being brothers is all about.