To change my DS2’s room into an office?

[cadburyegg]

Genuinely don’t know what to do here and would love some input.

I’ve worked from home since March 2020. My director has made a lot of noises about how he thinks working from home could turn into the norm for our department, although without being too specific we do work for a larger organisation where not everything is up to them. But for cost reasons I imagine we will be home at least most of the time, in future.

Downstairs in my house is all open plan and the way it is set up would make it difficult to include space for my desk/computer. Also should add that I have 2 screens and a fairly big workstation. So I’ve been working in my bedroom.

This basically means I’m often spending 16 hours a day in my bedroom. I really dislike it but I don’t have the cash to do an extension or anything like that. We have 3 bedrooms, I have 2 boys age 6 and 3 and at the moment they have separate bedrooms. They did share when DS2 was a baby but he wasn’t a good sleeper and they just kept waking each other. So it’s occurred to me more than once to put them in the same room again. DS1’s room is big enough for them to share.

BUT I’m sure there will come a point where they need their own space and will want separate rooms. I may well still be working from home by then and would have to just revert to what I’m doing now.

Thoughts?
YANBU - the boys can share, change the room into an office space
YABU - keep it as it is

Can you partition off any of downstairs to create even a cubicle type work space possibly? The problem is that if you turn a bedroom into an office now, you may soon want to change it back. X

Ooh this really annoys me. It’s great to work from home - if you happen to have the space! Suddenly, everyone needs one more bedroom!

I’d consider have them sharing now, if they’d like it. For us, it worked well up till the oldest being high school age, then we split them out again. But it would buy you a good few years - who knows what will be happening with work then?

If DS1's room is big enough, can you not partition it up and use one area for your office space? You won't need the space at night so his sleep or anything won't be disturbed.

I would get them to share. Mine did out of choice until the oldest was 8. You can rethink in a couple of years.

I'd get them to share now and then I'd plan to move when the oldest starts secondary school as that's when they tend to want their own space.

There are so many advantages to working from home but it's unfair that workers don't get some sort of allowance. And yes, I know about the tiny amount you can get in tax relief, but that doesn't cover anything really.

Do you have an attic/loft you could get converted? If wfh is going to be more of a permanent situation, then getting your two boys to share might be ok now but not when the older one goes prepubescent or hits the teenage years.

Are you planning to stay in this house long term?

If yes, I would put them in a room together and gather money to build an annex in the next couple of years which you can use as an office and when the kids are bigger they can use it as a play room etc.

I've got a desk in my eldest's bedroom but I've not taken it over completely. But I work school hours so she has it back when she's home.

it depends a bit how big the rooms are, but if the boys share a big room you can do fun things like have a bunk bed room divider to give them two separate spaces

www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/homed/bedroom/100000521/cool-bunk-beds-as-a-centre-divider-create-two-rooms-from-one

they are just the right age to share at the moment, so why not move them now? If you need to re-evaluate in 3 years time, well by then your office might have changes its policies, or you might move to a different job or all sorts of things. So worry about that when it happens.

My boys share a room and always have done and they really wouldn’t have it any other way, if there’s an extra room in a holiday house they still want to share. They are 10 and 8 and I’m sure at some point they’ll want their own rooms but it’s not happened yet

I'd put them in together. Longer term if you still need to WFH you can move/get a garden office/build an annexe/whatever.

I’d get them to share. We are lucky as we have a small box room ‘office’ and a guest bedroom so we are both catered for. The difference it makes not working in your living space is amazing as I was in our lounge but like you I really need 2 screens.

Yes, they can easily share for a few years yet, and who knows where either your life or the world at large will be by then!

What about in future looking into one of the ‘garden offices ’ people have built. Cheaper than an extension although you need electricity etc.

My and DH both work from home. I work in my room but i have a desk that is easy to distantle and i can slid it under the bed - and i put my laptop and second monitor etc into a press each evening.

DH works in our 9 year olds room but my son is away at school during the day so he just puts his laptop eyc away on the evening.

Is there a reason you need a room as a permanent office - could you not just use the bedroom and put the stuff away when you are done?

YANBU. I’d definitely have them share given the current circumstances. I’m in the extension which backs onto the dining room/open plan living room and I VERY much envy DH who got the smallest bedroom as his office (he does WFH all the time and has lots of Zooms etc, while I have far fewer meetings and I’m onsite some days so it is right he has a dedicated space) but it’s so loud if the DC are here plus I’m always getting parcels, the door, etc.