Hi -- I came across this post and thought I'd give my solution -- My two boys (ages 5 and 3 1/2) share a room.  It's large, but didn't leave much play room with their beds, dressers, toys, etc.

I came up with two DIY beds suspended from the ceiling on one corner with a steel cable, and anchored at the side and head of the bed to the walls.  It took about $150 and seven or eight hours for TWO beds, rails, and ladders. Way cheaper, and way cooler, than bunkbeds! When the rail is off and the bed is made, the cable is nearly invisible, giving a illusion of beds floating about 30" from the ceiling.

The kids love them and now they have room to play in their room, rather than dragging their myriad of toys out to the den, the kitchen, the hall, etc.  I'd be happy to post more info and a photo if anyone is interested.

I'd keep it the way it is.  The boys seem to be happy and your daughter will soon realize that having a pretty girly room is much more important.

I posted on the hanging bed thread too with mention of the bed like ideagirl that I have a picture of on my page.  If she does really want a loft bed, my hubby and I built our children each one out of old water bed parts.  They (one boy one girl) used the parts underneath for anything their imaginations could come up with.  I bet you could buy an old waterbed on CraigsList for the lumber.  That along with a trip to Home Depot to get some Simpson Ties, nuts and bolts........The sky, or errr the ceilings the limit!

You got me wrong, Ivy. I thought of a "no jumping on the loft bed, but on the normal one" rule. So you have an argument of her wanting to keep her normal bed ;-).

Thanks for all the assurances that the drama will eventually fade. :) I've tried to play up the "Now you're going to have a full-sized princess bed!" to my daughter, and that may work.

My oldest son goes to his dad's every other weekend, so with any luck, she can have a "sleepover" with my youngest while my oldest is gone.

And no worries, balubalu, there is a strict rule against jumping on the loft bed!  

Oh the drama! :o) - Sorry I can not help you with that, but I feel for you. 

Perhaps you can argue that jumping on a loft bed is forbidden? That'll help with some of my little friends. ;-)

Here's some advice from a girl who grew up in a house with 5 kids (who now range from ages 33 to 17), and also has 7 nieces and nephews and 2 step nieces.....

Do not give in to your little girl!! Think of it this way.... by the time your oldest moves out (which will 5 years assumeing he leaves at 18) your little girl will be 11; ie. She'll think she's 20 years old and will want her privacy more than anything else in the world. She'll be starting to blossum into womanhood, and your littlest will be 8; ie. he and his friends will find more than enough reasons to pester big sis.

I remember staying in my oldest sisters room (where we shared a double bed) and the situation was fine.... your oldest will be fine living with your youngest, i promise.

As for your little princess getting her own loft, if you honestly can't afford it, don't give in. She'll get over the novelty of it eventually. Also, if you DO end up getting her a loft, please please please please please get a railing for it!! I was in the 3rd grade (That made me 8 because it was early in the year) and I fell off the top bunk in the middle of the night and while I don't remember falling out of bed AT ALL, the next morning all the skin around my right eye was scraped off! Pretty nasty case of rug burn, and it was picture day to boot! My mom wouldn't let me go to school, of course, but that's besides the point.... The little ones will need a railing to keep from getting hurt... your oldest will probably be ok, so I wouldn't worry as much about him being up there.

I grew up with two brothers, 5 & 7 years older than me. They had an AWESOME loft Bed that my mom built just for them. I was beyond jealous and everybody knew it, about 1 year later they got tired of it, and wanted my room and two beds on the floor so we switched and I got the loft until I moved out...

Your kids will get over it. I think it's best to keep the boys & girls seperate, and deal with it now. Otherwise when would it be time to switch who shares with who and then you'd be back to the same drama that you have now.

Your princess will forgive you once she realizes that even brothers have cooties! 

New here, and I only have 1, who is 3 years old, so I really don't know what I'm talking bout, but

Can you find some trade-off with daughter?  Like let her paint her walls or something? 

Or, and I totally understand being on a budget and not having $50 to spare, but any chance she could get her own loft bed?  I see them on CL all the time for $50 and up, sometimes less.   Got my kiddo one of those discontinued Ikea loft beds with a slide for $50.