To do an annual bedroom swap?

[Ausflug]

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.

or a shared bedroom and a shared playroom/lounge? I suppose would be another option.

YABU! I would have hated this. I am very territorial and took great pride in my bedroom. It was my private space. I guess it depends on their personalities. Eldest definitely gets the biggest room and that's the rules .

My DB and i ha 3 years between us. I had the bigger room and he had the box room. My parents went out of their way to make sure the space was maximised in the box room and my DB loved his room. Now my 7yo niece always chooses the little room to stay in as the room has been decorated to her tastes. I liked my big room and it suited me as i always had more friends round than my DB, but his room was lovely too. Bigger does not always equal better. Swapping yearly sounds like a major faff to me.

I wouldn't do this - sounds very unsettling for the DC. My DD has had furniture made for her room, thought hard about pictures, chosen the curtain fabric and so on. I can just imagine reaction if I told her to swap with one of her brothers.

If bedroom inequity bothers you that much make bedroom size a priority in the house hunt and avoid houses with a box room?

I had 2 kids in a 3 bed house, DS (eldest) had normal sized room DD had box room.
Swapping would have been an utter nightmare by the time they were older. DS had all his guitars, playstation, skateboards. His life wouldn't have fitted into a box room.
DD bless her managed. We had the room fitted out to maximise space and hung her clothes in our wardrobes. Despite being in the box room she'd have hated to move at the time. It was her space and she personalised it.

When DS left home it took the best part of a week to sort out his room and move DD into it. I wouldn't like to do it annually.

eldest definitely gets the biggest room and that's the rules Yessss

We voluntarily swapped all the time as DC and loved it. I suspect my DC will also swap through choice (they are all convinced the grass is greener in another room).

Why not ask your DC when you find house and see what they want to do? My eldest chose the smallest room as is in eaves and has sloping roof, dormer window etc. She likes to pretend she is family servant, living in the attic - sadly this doesn't extend to her actually doing any housework

I would've hated this as a child and for my personality type (like my private space, happy in my own company etc) this would've been a horrific idea. You know your DCs though, they may cope with it.

I actually love this idea.
Atm we have one massive room and one box room. Boxroom only has bed and toys in, clothes are kept in wardrobes in the bigger room so they have similar sized area to play in.
I like your idea best though

It sounds ridiculous and like a PITA to me, so I think YABU.

I would rather have my own room than be swapping every year (do you plan to redecorate every year as well and what about when they get to those awkward teen years; bound to cause tantrums).

Can you not just buy a house with reasonable sized rooms, or extend into the loft? Give the one with the box room some storage or extra privilege elsewhere in the house?

Size isn't everything, anyway. My SIL was the younger of two siblings and got the larger room, but it was the one housing the airing cupboard, meaning that her mum was always in and out. DH preferred his boxroom privacy, even though by the time he was 16 his feet were practically touching the bedroom door when he lay down in bed.
My DSis and I elected to share the smallest room because it was the furthest away from our parents.

My parents use to do this when I was younger. Me and my brother would swap rooms ever couple of years as one was a small box room and the other was a bit bigger so it was "fair" apparently.

Why not flip a coin when you move in and the 'winner' gets the big room. Then after a year, the other DC gets to choose whether they want to swap or stay with what they've got. The next year the original 'winner' chooses, etc.

However, it might be easier to factor it in when choosing your house! There surely must be houses that have master + 2 medium rooms????

Another idea that I've seen done several times is extending the "box" room into the double next to it to be it a large single and small double - you then take the bigger double (formerly usually bedroom 2) for yourselves.

Something to take into account when you do buy a 3 bed. There is a huge difference between a tiny single and a decent single IMHO.

Bunks in the smallest room, bigger room becomes a playroom with sofa beds for sleepovers/visitors.

We did the eldest thing. Both rooms were equal size but one was darker, the other had more natural light. DS1 had the lighter room for about 6 years until he moved out at age 18, then DS2 moved to the lighter room. I think since both rooms were the same size, it wasn't as big a deal.

I think your idea is fine, but I'd get furniture that they both agree on for each room so it's only a matter of swapping belongings.

I think it's an excellent idea. I know someone with four daughters very close in age, and she regularly has them swap bedrooms (and roommates). It works extremely well for them.

I'm opposed to automatically assigning the best bedroom to the eldest. It is unfair on the most basic level. (Thus speaks a bitter youngest child. )

It's quite a good idea, I think. Though I'm the oldest and I had the small room, which I loved. We're about to split up our two and move one of them into the box room but I might just give them the choice of who moves and who stays initially.

YANBU
Great for stopping them getting territorial about "their" room too.

YANBU if it works for your kids, but I'd have hated it.

Plus, I'm in the Give the oldest the biggest room camp. As the eldest of two I found that being the eldest had very few perks, but the biggest room was the main one. Fortunately it worked for us as I"m a bit of a hoarder and DBro is a minimalist, so the biggest room would have been wasted on him. I just had to share it with him some times when he had friends in to play if they needed more floorspace than his room had.

Hmm, I think I'd go for it just to avoid over-attachment to a room.

DS is off to university this year, and in all fairness, DD (5 years younger) should have a turn in his much larger bedroom. But DS will be gutted if we do that (and he has so many hobby-related things permanently nailed on/built into the walls that it would be one hell of a job).

Three chuldren in a three bed house growing up and we bedroom swapped too.

Sounds like a good idea but a lot of hassle moving furniture and redecorating.

If both are the same sex I'd do as pp have suggested and have them share the big room and have the box room as a study/play room for them to hang out in.

If you do swop rooms I'd leave the furniture and just swop clothes/toys over. It would be easier and less likely to damage wardrobes/chest of drawers by shifting them from room to room. Plus you won't be able to fit the same furniture in the box room as you can the big room.

Sounds good in theory but could be a pain in the bum for you. Also, a childs room is their space - their home. I don't know if it would be unsettling for them to be always back and forthing.

I think it's a great idea. We did something similar despite all rooms being of roughly equal size. my sister and I shared a room until I was about 7 and had a playroom in the other bedroom (3 bed house)and when she went to high school we got a room each (as the younger one I was gutted totally idolised my sister) but in the end loved having my own big room that I was allowed to decorate myself