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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Children in box room

87 replies

ionising · 17/08/2018 14:57

I have read discussions from parents about children sharing a room. Hiw many of you have children in a box room?

My dd is 10 and a loy of her friends have a huge double.

She asked to swop with me? Absolutely not!

My sister grew up in the box room. I had the double.
AIBU to feel bad? I know its a first world problem.

OP posts:

Pengggwn · 17/08/2018 14:59

Of course I wouldn't swap my bedroom for a child's room. Tell her she is being very cheeky.

Oysterbabe · 17/08/2018 15:00

My son is in the box room. He's only 8 months old though. I'm planning to keep him in there for as long as possible. There is a double room he can have once he's old enough to start complaining how unfair it is. It's the guest room until then.

missbattenburg · 17/08/2018 15:01

At various times in childhood I switched back and forth between the box room and the big spare room. In all honesty, I cannot say it made any difference to me. In fact, I think I have fonder memories of the box rooms because they felt so den-like.

EnglishRose13 · 17/08/2018 15:03

I was in the box room until I was 14/15.

It was tough, but I survived.

IceCreamFace · 17/08/2018 15:06

I wouldn't just give her a big room because her friends have them. I wouldn't necessarily take the biggest room just because I'm an adult. I would just decide who needed it most. On the one hand it's nice for her to have private place to entertain her friends. On the other hand I probably have more clothes and stuff to store.

FatTory · 17/08/2018 15:07

My children share the biggest room, it’s been the same ever since I had two kids. I only sleep in my bedroom, they play in theirs xx

IsTheRainEverComingBack · 17/08/2018 15:09

My two siblings and I shared one, not very big, double room until our teens. Yes it was cramped but we all managed just fine.

WhatHaveIFound · 17/08/2018 15:09

I shared with my sister, then moved into the box room when i couldn't stand her any longer. I stayed there until she left home so i guess until i was about 18. There was only space for a bed so it wasn't somewhere i hung out with my friends.

Bunnybobtails · 17/08/2018 15:12

My DD has our box room, it's not too bad as it's 8x10 foot, but whenever she moans about it I point out that she's lucky she's got her own room because her brothers have to share!

MyRelationshipIsWeird · 17/08/2018 15:12

Mine take turns with the box room every couple of years. No way I'd have it though, cheeky bugger. I bet those friends who have a double don't have parents in a single room! Until she's old enough to have a boyfriend staying over she doesn't need a double bed. If she wants sleepovers would a bunk bed help?

MereDintofPandiculation · 17/08/2018 15:13

I dislike the idea of one child having a much bigger room than the other. I probably would be OK in giving the children larger rooms if it made it so they could have similar sized rooms. After all, I just use my bedroom for sleeping, whereas they use theirs as their whole life. But I'd struggle with a box room.

c3pu · 17/08/2018 15:14

My youngest had the box, my eldest had a small double.

I knocked the wall down and made them into two singles.

Kintan · 17/08/2018 15:15

I was in the box room. I loved it, it was my own little space. I felt sorry for my brothers who had to share. But if there are only two children and one is in the box room and the other is in a double, I can see why the box room dweller would be resentful!

5000KallaxHoles · 17/08/2018 15:16

At the moment me and DH have the box room - but it's a 2 bed house, the DDs share a room and have a huge bunk bed with steps down the side and shelving as part of it and everything so they have the larger room to play in. We also have problems with a neighbour and garden noise and barbecuing every single bloody night from March - October... so we wanted the kids away from the back of the house as out the front is quieter and doesn't stink of burnt meat usually

LeftRightCentre · 17/08/2018 15:16

My son had the box room. His sisters had the double room. They all turned out okay.

MereDintofPandiculation · 17/08/2018 15:17

I grew up in a 10ft x 8ft. We didn't think of it as a box room. Single bed, then for days on end I'd have my train set covering the entire floor space - got quite tricky to move around. By teenage years I'd acquired a foldable picnic chair to use as an armchair, and stayed in the room till I finally left home.

hidinginthenightgarden · 17/08/2018 15:17

My 2 yr old is in the box room and will be until she is 7. We are hoping to move then.

19lottie82 · 17/08/2018 15:18

Lol @ her asking to swop

I had the box room growing up and strangely enough it didn’t scar me for life.

AriadnePersephoneCloud · 17/08/2018 15:19

I had the box room growing up and was happy with it... That said equally I'd be quite happy in the box room now and for our youngest to have a bigger room but our room has issues (no real insulation etc) so am doing youngest a favour by not swapping. I do agree with whoever said you give the space to whoever needs it more.

chipswndbeans · 17/08/2018 15:20

My dd has the bigger room. This is because she spends hours playing in her room I usually just sleep, read, listen to the radio upstairs not spread shopkins and lol dolls out in some elaborate make believe world.

1forAll74 · 17/08/2018 15:20

I was brought up in a three bed council house many years ago.two of the bedrooms were mainly the same size,and then the box room. My parents and my seven years younger sister had the bigger rooms,and I had,and wanted the box room, and this is where I was,until I got married at aged 25, and I loved my little room !

Funnyface1 · 17/08/2018 15:21

One of the reasons we moved last year was dd's box room. She was only a baby but it really was tiny and I knew it would be a struggle once she got older.

She's nearly 2 now and her room is a good size, much more in line with her older brothers lovely big room. That was also making me feel guilty.

I was grateful to eventually get a box room as a teen after starting out sharing a room with my 2 sisters and aunt.

DianaPrincessOfThemyscira · 17/08/2018 15:23

My youngest is in the box room, it’s 4 ft wide and maybe 7 long so he has a narrow bunk.

Do I wish he could have a larger room? Yes. Do I have the funds available to change the situation? No.

I only ever feel guilty when I read posts on here about how it’s cruel for kids to not have their own rooms or have a small room - I have twins in the second (double) bedroom and then me and DH in the other. I can’t magic up money out of thin air to move (although it’s in our five year plan!) and logically I had plenty of friends that grew up sharing a room or with a tiny room.

kerryleigh · 17/08/2018 15:23

one of my dds has the box room, we had to have the furniture custom made for her...she loves her room!

dangermousegoesswimming · 17/08/2018 15:24

She's lucky to have her own room! Many kids don't. Two of mine share and the other is in the small (not too much of a box) room.

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