Box room childs room or office

[MilkCereal]

2 dc sharing a big room but starting to want own room. We have a third room but its currently a study for dh who working from home still. So I'm planning that he goes back to office and the youngest dc moves into that room with a mid or high sleeper to create some space. Dh think we should wait another year due to covid in case ges back home in autumn and winter.....
Thoughts? Also any other space saves for small box room?

I did a loft extension to gain two additional doubles (and a bathroom) so now we have a bedroom each, a spare room and the box room is the study. But before that dc 1 had the small room. In the end I didn’t feel that was fair.

Can you create a WFH space somewhere else in the house?

Any way of splitting the bigger oom with a divider?

My husband works in an ‘office corner’ that we set up in our bedroom. We put a desk in the living room for me. I need my 3 DC to have separate rooms, it is so much more peaceful

How old are the kids? If they are 3&4 I'd wait, 9&10 I'd move them.

Thanks all they're 5 and 8.
8 year old dd really wants own room. I did look at splitting their current room but it wouldnt be great.
We have 2 rooms downstairs so I think dh should have a little area there or in our bedroom for his computer.

If you have the space downstairs to make an office area which isn't going to be disturbed the rest of the family or have the rest of the family disturb him then I'd do that.

However if he's likley to be in the way or have the children distracting him when working downstairs then I wouldn't be getting rid of the home office just yet.

Good advice @greencrayon that's the problem he would be disturbed and in way downstairs if we were all home. But even if lockdown again I work outside of home so kids could go to school though so realistically he may just be working alone in house if hes wfh again in future.
The room is looking very small though!

I'd wait another year too at least until we get through next winter. I would hate being forced to work in my bedroom. If one of all of you come down with COVID it could be a nightmare shifting all his stuff around.

Get the 8yo a bed with a desk underneath in the smaller room (for them, not WFH)

My elder DD was 8 when she started needing her own quiet space. Her sister was keeping her awake at night as well.

Do you have the money and space in your garden for a shoffice? I think that would be the best solution. Definitely move DH's office elsewhere so the children can have a room each.

I think you need to work out if there’s another space that your DH can have for work that won’t impact on the household day-to-day (no point in a downstairs space just before summer holidays if that then means the kids have to be quiet all summer for example).

If there is then the move can happen, if there’s not then as rubbish as it us, own rooms will have to wait and i’d focus on making the shares room as private as possible.

I wfh from my sons room, we live in a 2 bed apt and both of us wfh full time. For ages we were at opposite end of the dining table, earlier this year I upgraded my 8yo sons room giving him a desk to do projects and home work from.

Started using it while he was at school and it's great, I just take my laptop out in the afternoon and it's back to being his space.

I do work 7.30-4 though so not late into the evenings.

I think I'd maybe go with a room divider for now since it's a decent size. Then next year hopefully your husband will be properly back in the office and you could look at moving one to the box room.

I used to have a box room when I was younger, it was fine. Not a lot of space but it was enough, especially if you get a mid or a high sleeper with a desk underneath. I would choose it any day over sharing a room. Is it likely DH will go back into the office, and will it be full time?

that's the problem he would be disturbed and in way downstairs if we were all home.

In that case I really wouldn't make the swap. You're about to enter the summer holidays and if isolating for 10 days is still a thing (hopefully it won't be) in September then its going to be a nightmare to stop the kids bothering him if he's visible downstairs.

Thanks all. We will definitely get a mid or high sleeper for box room with desk and storage underneath. Dh use to work at office fulltime so I'm presuming they will want him back in full time.... although he would like a day or 2 wfh!

Still undecided. At present they're in bunkbeds so splitting their current room is a big move if we then move 1 anyway and not sure how to split the room anyway.

It's a rental house so wont be building anything outside.
Thanks for all advice.

Would it be feasible to get one of those garden pod offices? This is my dream in future...

Does your DH have a big double screen/printer etc set up or just a laptop?

I just work from a laptop and have set up a small desk from a corner of DS1s box room, he's at school all day anyway, and if he's home he prefers to play in the living room. The desk also doubles up as a nice homework/drawing space.

I would wait, it isn't like the room is empty and unused. Your Dh needs it for work at the moment and we are not out of the woods yet. Of course your DD wants their own room, who doesn't? I shared until I went to uni. No choice.

Your DH is right. We might have another winter of WFH and school closures, best to wait. I work from a corner of our bedroom, it's not amazing.

Why does the 8 yo want her own room? Is it something you can address in another way?

Infortunately he has double screen etc. Printer could go elsewhere though as I use it more than him.....

Moving your DH to the main living areas just before the summer holidays would be madness

If they have bunk beds then what about a bed tent for the eldest (I’m assuming she has the top bunk?)

If your dd is only just starting to want her own room then I think you could wait a little and subdivided their current room a bit (by re-arranging the furniture/ buying a bookcase, not building a wall). But be clear to all concerned that this arrangement will end Easter next year.

Has she said Why she wants her own room?