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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to not understand why some parents have adult only living rooms

120 replies

carriedababi · 27/07/2011 18:10

seems a bit mean to the childrento say this living room is adults only,
i can understand wanting your own space a bit in the bedroom, but to have an adults only living room...

well surely you live together as one family don't you.

OP posts:
LowLevelWhiiingeing · 27/07/2011 18:12

because it's nice to have a room that doesn't have plastic crap in it Smile

AgentZigzag · 27/07/2011 18:13

A bit 'meeeaaan'?

Sometimes I want to talk to my DH without someone earwigging, or watch a program that has violence or adult themes () in it.

Y'know, stuff that adults do that's inappropriate for children to hear/see.

But if you let your children dictate what's going on in your house that's fine by me.

NoobytheWaspSlayer · 27/07/2011 18:14

Not that I have one (not enough room), but I do think it would be rather nice to have one room that has not been colonised by plastic, that I could have my delicate/expensive stuff in without risk, and that I could walk into at the end of the day and relax without having to tidy it up first.

CogitoErgoSometimes · 27/07/2011 18:14

YABU If kids can have 'playrooms' why can't parents have grown-up living rooms?

cornsilksy · 27/07/2011 18:16

'But if you let your children dictate what's going on in your house that's fine by me.'
ooooh! very passive aggressive.

I agree with carrie.

Tryharder · 27/07/2011 18:16

[looks around at living room full of kids, neighbours kids and plastic tat]

An adult- only living room would be fantastic....

thermosflask · 27/07/2011 18:16

We are trying to keep the living room child free, but the little so and so's keep coming in.

kerala · 27/07/2011 18:16

Because they have a big playroom we spend our days in in evenings dh and I have nice room to spend time in not surrounded by toys

Poweredbypepsi · 27/07/2011 18:16

We have a playroom and a living room, the toys are meant to stay in the playroom but the children are welcome to come in the living room to watch tv and often bring a toy with them it's just to try and keep the mess under control.

AgentZigzag · 27/07/2011 18:17

'a room that doesn't have plastic crap in it'

What on earth have you been eating to get that symptom LLW? Grin

Iggly · 27/07/2011 18:17

Yanbu. I'm of the view that it's DS house too so don't restrict rooms and don't ever plan to (he's only 22 months Wink)

He goes to bed at half 7 by which time his toys are away so the living room is nice and tidy so we can have time to ourselves. As he's older I will expect stuff to be tidy but he will very much be a part of the family in the evenings. If he wants to go elsewhere or anyone else does then we'll create space somehow I'm sure!

Original poster
carriedababi · 27/07/2011 18:17

can't you watch your adult tv things when the children are in bed at night?
or do they go to bed late?

do you actually say children you are not allowed in here?

perhaps you even have an electric fence style gate instead of a doorWink

OP posts:
cornsilksy · 27/07/2011 18:18

or a bouncer

faverolles · 27/07/2011 18:19

If I had a house big enough, I would have a "nice" sitting room and one for the dc. The dc would be allowed in the nice room, but it would not be a place to play in. Civilised conversation and tv watching only.

As it is, my house is tiny and the whole thing is a pit of despair.

EttiKetti · 27/07/2011 18:20

We have two reception rooms (I put that to avoid the lounge/sitting room/living room dilemma) and one is very much a comfy room and one more adult. The adult room gets infiltrated by children on a daily basis as it has the best TV :o I do allow them to play in there but not eat or drink, and all evidence toys must be cleared away when they leave the room.

I hate finally getting to my sitting down time at about 8-9pm and having to clear up before I can sit and relax for a little while, so I made this little "rule". It works for us!

poppysweetie · 27/07/2011 18:20

I can only dream of it. Maybe in 14 years or so.

Original poster
carriedababi · 27/07/2011 18:20

rofl at bouncerGrin

"if your name's not down, your not coming in"

OP posts:
iggagog · 27/07/2011 18:22

I don't think it's the children I'd want to keep out so much as the stuff. It would be nice not to have kids' tv, dvds, bits of food etc not to mention the plastic crap!

nojustificationneeded · 27/07/2011 18:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

cornsilksy · 27/07/2011 18:25

Other people's clean houses are bad for self-esteem

Original poster
carriedababi · 27/07/2011 18:26

here perhaps a guard dog would be helpful Wink

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 27/07/2011 18:26

The house I am currently dreaming about on Rightmove will have a large family living space in the middle, a Children's den on the left and my living room on the right. no chidren will be allowed in my room.

I am sick and tired of the living room being invaded by toys and other assorted crap when they have a play room.

Schtum · 27/07/2011 18:28

We didn't "ban" our kids from the sitting room but it did work well for us to have all the toys in the playroom and have a sitting room that was a bit of a sanctuary from all their stuff.

Our DDs are 17 and 15 now, so we don't have the plastic crap thing any more but they do like to watch all sorts of rubbish on the telly that DH and I don't want to be around so it still works quite well for us to continue to have two sitting rooms.

Each to their own, of course, but I quite like to have some space that isn't dominated by kids.

squeakytoy · 27/07/2011 18:28

I grew up in a house that had a living room, and a "front room". The front room was out of bounds... at all times. I had a bedroom to play in or chill out in as I got older, or I could sit in the living room with my parents.. (like I really wanted to do that in my teens Grin ).. .but the front room was used only if my parents had visitors other than a neighbour dropping in, or at Christmas.

gomummygo · 27/07/2011 18:28

Well, we don't restrict access to second living room, but we don't allow toys, etc. in it, though DS does have a bookshelf in it with his books. It is an adult room which houses antiques and breakable things and DS knows it is not for running around, etc., but he is more than welcome to cuddle up and read.