[skae]

We've recently put both kids in one room to save on cooling/heating (and the fact we only have one portable air-con) but it's working well so we decided to turn the other room into a play room of sorts.

My daughter is nearly 7 and has lots of 'special things' like jewellery, a bottle of kiddies perfume, and then her million and one craft projects, that a certain nearly 4yo brother is always getting into and wrecking (another thread entirely on how to stop him being so destructive!). Anyway, before the move, we had one of those door knob safety covers on her room so he couldn't get in, thus her stuff was safe and if she was silly enough to leave her things lying around then it was her fault if it got ruined.

But now, the spaces are shared. Hence my dilemma - any ideas on how/where to give Aliza a space to keep her precious things out of reach of the little brother?

This post has been edited by skae: 22/01/2013, 02:23 PM

[Rachaelxxx]

I've got 5 girls ranging from 5 years to 11 years and some days I can't win. It always feels like the younger ones are damaging the older ones things. Life gets easier as they get older though. I know that doesn't''t help you now.

[jakc_]

I have kids sharing a room with a BIG age difference and I put all those "special" things up high and the older child knows these things can't be played with while the younger one is about without an arguement. Not much else you can do??

[Genabee]

A small desk or dressing table that is off limits to him?

[CallMeProtart]

My kids each have a 'drawer' that the other is not allowed to go into. DS is not quite 3 but already understands this, your 4yo should be able to, if it's quite a consistent 'special space' for each of them.
If he still goes into her stuff despite knowing better, possibly a little bag or box that's lockable (I'm planning to use their trunkis, as they have a lock) with the keys kept in a high place that the little one can't reach?

[sparassidae]

Like everyone else we use a combination of 'up high' and 'off limits drawer'. Obviously it depends on the age and personality, our 4yo and 13 yo share a room and it is 95% 'up high', our 6 and 8yos share and it is all 'off limits drawer'.

And like Rachael said, some days you just can't win.

[skae]

Thanks for the tips everyone

[liveworkplay]

We were lucky in that our bunks each have a nook which the girls deemed their "special place" and noone else was allowed to touch whet was in there. When DD3 also went into the same room, she had a little box by her bed.

When I was growing up, Dad made us all a lockable box (about 60cmx60cmx60cm) that doubled as a side table and somewhere private to keep our stuff.