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Original poster

Who has the master bedroom in your house ?

235 replies

Whattheactual20201 · 02/02/2021 13:01

We were just discussing this with a friend and she thought it was odd that we have the smallest room in the house.

My dc 14 and 7. Ds originally had main bedroom and DD middle bedroom.
This then switched 2 years ago as their needs changed.
I have always had the smaller bedroom. I have my double bed and no floor space etc but I find that I only really sleep in their so it’s never bothered me.
We are planning on moving soon and I think it will be a similar set up.

How do you work out who gets what room ?

OP posts:
Godimabitch · 02/02/2021 13:11

Our master bedroom has our wardrobes, office and a sofa bed. Me and DH have the middle bedroom which just has our bed, bedside tables and my dressing table. Baby has the smallest room with cotbed wardrobe and draws in. It'll stay like this until we move out when they're school age. We wouldn't give the master to a kid if it meant us having no floor space, but I'd choose a nicer looking room/views over the size as we wont have wardrobes in our bedroom. I love them being in a different room.

Fastedbrownie · 02/02/2021 13:12

We have the master, but I would've given it up if there hadn't of been another decent sized room because my twins share and they're not going to still be sharing a bed until they're 16, so they will need the space sooner rathee than later.

Iknowwhatudidlastsummer · 02/02/2021 13:13

parents were cramming themselves into a much smaller bedroom and I just found it really weird and self effacing of them.

What's self effacing? They have the entire house and can send the kids in their bedroom to have peace and quiet.

It can make so much more sense to just

By the same token, people who have 2 properties (unthinkable on MN but happens in the real world Grin). The parent working away and paying all the bills has the smallest flat, or a room for the week. The family lives in the bigger family home.

No one would accept for a working father to live in a big house in town whilst the family is crammed in a flat during the week!

Imiss2019 · 02/02/2021 13:15

DS2 had the master bedroom for about 5 years so it could double up as a playroom. Once he was in primary school I didn't want the dining room as a playroom anymore so this made the most sense. The room and ensuite we were very tired and old so it didn't bother me not being in it. Once he was a bit older with less toys and we could afford to redecorate and put in a new ensuite I moved him to a different room and moved back in.

Ginfordinner · 02/02/2021 13:15

We do. DD has the smallest bedroom - by choice. I use a spare bedroom as my office.

Iknowwhatudidlastsummer · 02/02/2021 13:15

Fair enough for some families to have to swap bedrooms because of the pandemic.

If you work from home and the only place you can use is your own bedroom, then yes, the master bedroom is probably better to isolate yourself and set up your home office.

But choice of rooms should come down to practicality and common sense. Not who's paying the bills.Confused

OverTheRainbow88 · 02/02/2021 13:17

Us parents have the smallest, youngest has the biggest and we keep all the kids toys in that room!

TheSoapyFrog · 02/02/2021 13:17

The kids. I don't need a big bedroom. I'm hardly ever in there, literally just to sleep and get dressed. The kids spend a lot of time in their rooms and have more stuff than I do.
I don't see the point in keeping the big bedroom for myself for no reason other than 'just because'.

Dolallytats · 02/02/2021 13:17

Growing up we were a family of 7 (mum, dad, 4 girls, 1 boy) in a 3 bed house so the girls all shared the biggest room. Mum and dad went in the middle room and our brother went in the smallest room.

Now, me and DH have a 2 bed flat and have 3 children aged 27, 12 and 7. DD27 did move out years ago, but because DS12 and DD7 have to share a room , they get the biggest space.

A year ago it all got a bit more squished as DD lost her flat so now her OH, DD and DGS (5) are staying here until they can get another place.

It now goes 2 people in smaller room, 3 in the larger room and 2 on the sofas in the living room.

It's, eeerrrrmm, cosy Grin

Imiss2019 · 02/02/2021 13:18

Should also point out that DH and I have a bedroom each anyway so when DS had the master it's not like two adults were crammed into the box room!

GloriaGuadalajara · 02/02/2021 13:18

At the minute I'm cosleeping half the night with the baby so her cotbed is in the corner of the master bedroom. DH is in the spare room (medium sized double room) for now until DD is ready to go in her own room, then he'll come back in the master bedroom and I'll have to endure his snoring. DS 4yo has the 3rd bedroom which is a small single but he likes it.
I love the location of this house but I think we'll need either to move or build an extension when the kids get older as the 2nd and 3rd bedrooms are very different in size and it would feel a bit unfair to choose, unless they switched every few years.

AndcalloffChristmas · 02/02/2021 13:18

I am about to spend a fortune on a loft extension so that everyone has a decent sized room though

MrsWhistledown · 02/02/2021 13:19

Me and DH - we don't have kids yet but I dont see us ever doing things differently.

When I was younger (maybe aged 8-10 ish) there was a period of time where I had the "master bedroom" at my parents house but that was because the second bedroom was only slightly smaller and it had fitted wardrobes so my parents had that room.

museumum · 02/02/2021 13:19

We have it because there’s two of us (two wardrobes, chests of drawers etc).
If we had two children sharing I’d probably give it to them. But I wouldn’t give it to one child while two adults squeezed into a smaller room.

Dolallytats · 02/02/2021 13:19

*I mean DD, her OH and DGS. The way I wrote it there, it made it sound like 4 more people, when it's 3.

Still a squish with 4 adults and 3 children in a 2 bed!!

tocketytickety · 02/02/2021 13:20

But choice of rooms should come down to practicality and common sense. Not who's paying the bills.

My thinking too.

"Master bedroom" was sold as the literal Master of the house's bedroom (Now including Mistress/Madam/Lady of the house) so many people, without really thinking about it, still consider it as such and see it as a slight to use it differently.

bigbluebus · 02/02/2021 13:21

We do. DCs never really played in their bedrooms as we had a playroom downstairs.

LindaEllen · 02/02/2021 13:21

There's only 2 bedrooms in our house and they're both the same size so there's no difference really. But to be honest, I'd be happy in a smaller room than the kids so long as had enough room for a bed and a wardrobe.

That's because we literally only use our bedroom for sleeping (and erm .. well) and we sit downstairs or in the kitchen the rest of the time. Whereas the kids use their room more activity, for playing with toys, making dens, gaming etc. So there's no point in us having a massive room we don't use, and the kids' room being rammed with no space for them to play.

I get the 'you pay the mortgage' thing, but it just doesn't seem like the best use of space to me sometimes.

If you do spend a lot of time in your room then that's different of course.

gwenneh · 02/02/2021 13:22

We do, but in the next 2-3 years we're likely going to refinish the ground floor as a suite for ourselves (there's a bath and a sitting room down there, plus DH's office) and give DC1 the current master bedroom.

Unanananana · 02/02/2021 13:22

I have the middle bedroom which is a small double, DS10 has the smallest/box room which is off mine (the way the terraces are laid out round here). DD12 has the largest room and has since we moved in when she was six months old. I don't mind a smaller room as I only sleep in there and DD and DS fight too much to have adjoining rooms. No tvs in any rooms.

DS and I homeschool/work downstairs and DD works in her room. I usually work out of home and the kids are at school obviously but we do all have plenty of space. Its not ideal but we are more fortunate than a lot of people and for that I am grateful.

Lockheart · 02/02/2021 13:23

Does it matter? Do what's best for your individual circumstances.

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 02/02/2021 13:23

Its the guest room stroke playroom. Then we have the middle room, and DDs have a small bedroom each.

The master is massive. It would be wasted as just our bedroom. This way there is a double bed , wardrobe and drawers in one half, then bookcases, toy units, and toys in the other half and it's actually used.

EnidPrunehat · 02/02/2021 13:23

I've never understood this 'I own it, I demand the biggest bedroom' thing. When I was a single parent with 2 teenage DC it made absolutely no sense for me to occupy the 'master' bedroom. That sort of attitude would simply have made life unnecessarily difficult for all of us.

insancerre · 02/02/2021 13:24

My house has 4 double bedrooms all the same size and none have an en suite so nobody has the master cos there isn’t one

doctorhamster · 02/02/2021 13:24

Me and DH have the master. The dc do have pretty small bedrooms but we have a second reception room that they use where they have desks/a tv/can entertain their friends when they come over.

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