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Parenting

Advice about kids bedrooms.

14 replies

NAB3wishesfor2008 · 26/01/2008 15:19

We have 3 children and they all have their own rooms.

DS1 is 6.10 and has the biggest room. (Was going to be an only child so saw no reason for him not to have it)
DD is 4.5
DS2 is 2.7 - both their rooms are the same size and are smaller than DS1's.

I gave DS1 the choice of a shared big room or a smaller room on his own. He chose the big room on his own!

DH and I are wondering whether the boys could/should share and DS2's room could be a toy room but is the age gap too big and does a nearly 7 year old need his own space?

His room is a bit too big and the others are a bit too small. Frustrating.

Have another ? which I will ask about under products.

Thanks.

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MamaGenius · 26/01/2008 15:21

Is the gap too big? I woul have thought it was ok.

If you're adamant that the DSes can't share, how about putting DD and DS2s clothing in DS1s room (their drawers/wardrobes) leaving them with bed/books/toys only in their rooms?

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Hulababy · 26/01/2008 15:25

At present it would probably work out fine to share, but mybe not so much as they get older. There will be a period of time when the eldest is a young teen, and the younger will seem so much younger than him. The eldest will want their own space and privacy, as youn teens do.

I had to share with a sibling 9 years my junior - not good.

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cat64 · 26/01/2008 15:30

This reply has been deleted

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ivykaty44 · 26/01/2008 15:35

What rooms have you downstairs?

It just that naturally we sleep better if we are alone, your boys are used to sleeping in their own rooms and to move them now and make tham share may cause other problems through bad sleeping habits that may be aquired.

I could though be talking utter rubbish and your two younger boys could love sharing a room and put them into the big room, ds 1 into one of the smaller bedrooms and then have the other bedroom as a toy room/ study.

If though you have room downstairs use that space for toys etc and leave sleeping upstairs.

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NAB3wishesfor2008 · 26/01/2008 15:48

The reason I was considering getting the boys to share was to free up a room for toys.

DS2 already has some of DD's clothes and bedding in a tower of drawers in his room.

The kitchen that DS2 so badly wanted for Christmas would be better upstairs imo but his room is too small for it. Not sure about DS1 having it in his room - may work as the youngest would play in there when his brother was at school and I am trying to encourage sharing of toys. It is hard when it is a special toy iykwim.

Downstairs our kitchen is huge so our dining table is in there and what should be the dining room has the computer, piano, bookcase, shelf unit, bureau and some toys in it. The kids play in the lounge but the toys mainly stay in the dining room. They aren't really separate rooms as we have taken the dividing doors off.

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VictorianSqualor · 26/01/2008 16:01

We have the same age difference without the middle child iyswim, we got a bed for DS(3) that is a midsleeper, so we could put his toy boxes under it, saved us a lot of problems with space.

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VictorianSqualor · 26/01/2008 16:04

Oh also, I would say give one of the younger children the larger room if they need more space, am pg atm and we are going to put DD n the little room with a highsleeper and DS+baby in the big room when baby is a bit older.

Elder children dont normally need as much space.

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juuule · 26/01/2008 16:08

I'm not really sure what the problem is. Why do you want to change things?

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NAB3wishesfor2008 · 26/01/2008 16:08

DS1 wouldn't be impressed if he swapped rooms with his brother. It is so small he wouldn't have any floor space to play. DS2 doesn't really play in his room apart from a few minutes beofre bed.

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VictorianSqualor · 26/01/2008 16:16

I'd leave it then, do you have a shed or anything you could put the kitchen etc in??

Make it into a playhouse?

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NAB3wishesfor2008 · 26/01/2008 16:28

Hubby wants to convert the garage to a play room but I don't like the house enough, nor want to stay long enough, to spend that much money on it.

All our furniture is wrong. All bought at shops the ILs took us too as we had no transport and no say in where we went. Never mind.

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roisin · 26/01/2008 16:33

How big is the big room? How small are the small rooms?

How about:
Put ds1 in one small room
Put dd and ds2 in another small room (bunkbeds)

In the rooms no toys, but wardrobes and drawers if there's space.

Then use the large room as a toyroom/playroom for all to share.

Then negotiate further when they're older.

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roisin · 26/01/2008 16:36

My boys (8 and 10) have always shared (in bunks) in small room like this, then had a (very) big room as a playroom + spare bed for guests.

About 2 months ago they decided they wanted to have separate rooms. So we are currently trialling they have a fortnight each in each room and we monitor how tidily they keep it.

It went well at first, but they've been rubbish recently, so I'm about to put them both back into the little room to share again

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NAB3wishesfor2008 · 26/01/2008 16:46

roisin great idea! Hadn't thought of putting the youngest 2 in together. Partly as one girl, one boy but also as two rooms are blue and 1 is pink so one child would have the wrong coloured room but as we plan to redecorate the whole house this year, it would only be a short term thing. Also DD has a lovely girlie bed and I wouldn't want to have to buy 2 more beds. Both boys beds aren't bunks. Would mean buying 2 bunk beds and putting the single bed away but might be a go-er. Thanks.