AIBU?
To do an annual bedroom swap?
Ausflug · 10/07/2015 13:28
Currently have 2 DC sharing a bedroom in a 2 bed terrace.
Plan is to move somewhere bigger in the next 2-3 years, so that they can have their own room, and we all get a bit more space.
I have been keeping an eye on the housing situation in our area - problem is that lots of the 3 bed houses have very different sized 2nd and 3rd bedrooms, usually one double and one small single, which is a bit unfair.
So my brilliant idea was that the children swap round bedrooms after each year. They'd have to do an annual big tidy-up and declutter (yay!), one wouldn't just be stuck with the poky bedroom forever, win-win!
DH is 
and thinks it would be too much bother and DC1 should just get first choice because she's the eldest.
So AIBU to think my idea is genius? Is it actually really stupid? I usually take all the furniture out yearly anyway for a spring clean, so don't see it would be that much bother just to put it back in a different room.
MaxPepsi · 10/07/2015 13:35
Sounds much fairer than your DH thinking the eldest should get first choice just for being the eldest!
I grew up in a 4 bedroom house with my parents and 3 brothers.
I had a large double to myself as I was the only girl and could be trusted with the antique heirloom furniture.
My brothers had to share and my mum regularly swapped them round.
.Anon4Now2015 · 10/07/2015 13:54
My kids swap bedrooms ALL THE TIME. It has never taken more than an hour and the kids always do it themselves. I don't think I've ever even carried anything. Definitely do it. We don't swap furniture though - there is basically the same furniture in each room and they just swap possessions around. It is no hassle at all
Fallout4 · 10/07/2015 14:09
Yeah my mum did this every year. Was a bloody nightmare personally. Just get used to one room and then we had to move. It was like musical bedrooms and drove everyone mad. I wouldn't of cared if I had the box room forever as long as I didn't have to move again. By the time my brother had moved out I was 13 so I got to pick which room I wanted and yet my mum still wanted us to switch over every now and again. She's like this with furniture though. Every week she moves it all around. You never know where it'll be from one week to the next. Gotta love her though.
MarkRuffaloCrumble · 10/07/2015 14:12
We do this, not religiously, but as their needs change, someone acquires a large item that needs a bigger room or gets rid of all their plastic tat in favour of small 'grown up' toys like laptops and x boxes.
As you say, it's a good way to get them to clear out unwanted stuff and gives the opportunity to redecorate (smallest room always gets done first as a bonus).
BackforGood · 10/07/2015 14:24
I don't think I'd want to be swapping bedrooms every year - you could suggest it, and, after the first year, they'll probably choose to stay put.
They'll be able to have their own tastes reflected in any decortating etc., which won't happen if they have to keep moving.
dc1 shouldn't get it "because they are older" - grossly unfair - but I would talk about it to the dc when you've had an offer accepted on the house, point out the pros and cons of each room (even if it's things like one is nearer the bathroom or has nicer decor or maybe the one in the bigger room has to move out for guests, or whatever the factors might be) and let them decide which is fairest....swapping annually, or tossing a coin and always staying put, or thy might both have preferences for different rooms, or might come up with another solution - such as share a sleeping space and have a shared 'living' space (starting as play room and will morph into study or chilling out space).
ApprenticeViper · 10/07/2015 14:29
YANBU, it's a great idea.
And this is from the eldest child who was moved into the smaller room when I was about seven because, and I quote, "you will be going to university and not coming to live back here, so it doesn't matter that you have the smaller room" Eh? So I have to put up with having a miniscule room for 11 years purely because I am more academic than my DB? Yes, that makes perfect sense 
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