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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask which child gets the biggest bedroom?

94 replies

WinterIsHereJon · 14/09/2016 22:42

We have finally managed to sell our two up-two down, hurray! Financial issues and then a long 18 months waiting for a buyer, but DCs 8 and 4 finally about to get their own room. DP can't agree on who gets the bigger room; second and third bedrooms in new house quite different in size. I think it should be the eldest DC, DP thinks the youngest as she still plays with toys more so requires more space? Just interested to know what others did. WIBU to toss a coin? DCs have no preference, just happy for peace from each other Grin

OP posts:
VioletBam · 14/09/2016 22:43

Eldest should. It's nothing to do with whose got more toys...and 8 year olds still have toys! The eldest has extra responsibilities so the larger room makes up for that.

LaurieFairyCake · 14/09/2016 22:44

Eldest may need a quiet place to work too

OwlinaTree · 14/09/2016 22:44

Interesting, what are the extra responsibilities?

OwlinaTree · 14/09/2016 22:46

Eldest usually gets the largest room. Maybe they could swop when eldest starts high school or something make it fair?

Enidblyton1 · 14/09/2016 22:47

I think I agree with you - Id give the bigger room to the eldest DC. Will they need to do homework there? (room for a desk?). Also older one more likely to have sleepovers so need space for friends?
I wouldn't use big toys as a reason for younger one getting the bigger room. Is there anywhere else in the house the toys can go?

whywonthedgehogssharethehedge · 14/09/2016 22:47

Eldest usually do in my experience. (Although Mine share so I don't have this dilemma) They will both have toys at this age.

The other alternative would be to put youngest in biggest room now then swap in say 3-4 years when oldest goes to high school and needs desk space etc.

GreatFuckability · 14/09/2016 22:48

whoever has the most stuff. practicality speaking, that makes the most sense.

strawberrypenguin · 14/09/2016 22:48

Eldest gets my vote.
Could you let the 8yo choose if you and DH can't agree - they might actually prefer the smaller room.

I know when we moved house when I was about 11 I was told my sister would get to choose first as I'd had he bigger room in the 'old' house. She chose the smaller room because she liked its position in the house better.

orangepudding · 14/09/2016 22:48

My youngest got the biggest room as he has the most belongings. My daughters weren't to fussed as they were just glad to get there own bedroom each.

Herzie29 · 14/09/2016 22:49

Youngest has the largest. Our smaller room is tiny - no space for a wardrobe. All the storage is in the bigger room and we felt it was more appropriate for the eldest to have exclusive personal space where she could shut the door.

ICanTuckMyBoobsInMyPockets · 14/09/2016 22:50

From personal experience, it's shit being the oldest.
Give the big room to the oldest.

NapQueen · 14/09/2016 22:50

Eldest. They will want to have sleep9vers and stuff plus the 4yo whilst they will want to play in their room is more likely to play downstairs with stuff.

Eldest will need a comfortable quiet place for homework and I'd not like to think of them cooped up in the smallest room every evening working.

Could always reassess when the younger starts secondary school.

CalleighDoodle · 14/09/2016 22:51

Eldest.

WatchingFromTheWings · 14/09/2016 22:51

Eldest gets the biggest in my house.

TheTartOfAsgard · 14/09/2016 22:52

My ds11 has the biggest room due to his Lego obsession - he needs the space. Dd13 has the next biggest and then I have the smallest room. I can only fit a bed/wardrobe in it but then I don't need much space as my stuff is mostly in the living room/bathroom

situatedknowledge · 14/09/2016 22:52

Our youngest got the biggest room when the elder two realised that if they had it they'd be turfed out any time we had people staying over. They're not as draft as they look.

WatchingFromTheWings · 14/09/2016 22:54

You could always get the 4yo a midsleeper which would give extra floor space underneath for storage units or playing. My 5yo has had one (from IKEA) for over a year and loves it.

Ham69 · 14/09/2016 22:54

My younger DC got the bigger room
when we moved. She has so many toys and 4 years on am so glad I made that decision as she still has loads of toys and loves playing in her room and using he imagination. My DS (9) has never complained and would rather kick a ball around than play in his room. I have a fold out bed for his sleepovers which works well. That's my experience though, of course, every child's different.

lazydog · 14/09/2016 22:55

Eldest

EatsShitAndLeaves · 14/09/2016 22:56

I don't agree the eldest should automatically get the larger room.

In our house DS has the (admittedly marginally) larger room out of those available rather than elder DSD because he needs the space for his drum kit. In terms of "space"
DSD has more even with the lesser square footage.

The smaller bedrooms are for guests as they don't really need more than a double bed and a chest of draws.

I think you need to think about how the rooms are used and allocate accordingly.

Bin50 · 14/09/2016 23:00

Easy - your favourite gets the largest room Grin

Ameliablue · 14/09/2016 23:01

As the youngest in the family I always seemed to draw sorry straw for such things. I don't think age is a good reason to decide as it isn't static, is this a coin and do it randomly.

GreatFuckability · 14/09/2016 23:01

why is it shit being the eldest? what are these extra responsibilities?

Witchend · 14/09/2016 23:02

I think it depends on your children.

At our first house dd1 had the biggest room simply because the smaller room wouldn't fit more than a cot/toddler bed in. So it made sense for her to have it as she would move into a bigger bed sooner. Which she did, she got a fantastic mid sleeper with slide and den underneath.

When we moved when dd1 was 8yo, she didn't really play with big toys. She had her eye on a high sleeper with desk and sofa bed underneath (thanks ebay) and dd2 had her eye on the midsleeper. Dd2 was at the stage of playing with big toys-lots of dolls things.
So Dd2 got the biggest room, dd1 got the next biggest and ds (who was a toddler so had the toddler bed by then) got the smallest.
I felt this was totally fair as dd2 had need of the space, dd1 also got a new bed out of it (the slide wouldn't have fitted in the smaller room so she'd have had to keep it if she'd had the biggest room) and she had had the biggest room for 8 years before. She has occasionally complained but not seriously.

We did consider having bunks in the middle one and then the biggest room being a playroom, but I'm glad we didn't as they do need their own space sometimes.

Leeds2 · 14/09/2016 23:04

Was my elder sister when I was growing up, by virtue of being eldest. We moved in the year before she went to uni, and I got the big bedroom then!

I only have one child, but would always give the biggest room to the eldest.