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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Or does she have squatters rights?

232 replies

Bettycrocker7 · 20/10/2024 18:22

We live in a 3 bed semi with no potential to move, extend or convert the attic.
Me and dh have one bedroom, dd13 and ds10 ( he has asd and adhd) share one room.
Dd 14 (she has adhd and asd) has her own box sized room.

Around two and a half years ago ds had the box room and the two girls shared.
My eldest dd was very difficult to share a room with. No emotional regulation, huge meltdowns, repeated unkind behaviour and she would stay up until the early hours.
After months of sleepless nights, we decided to put ds (then 8) and middle dd (then 10) in one room and give eldest dd her own bedroom in the box room. This did restore peace in the house for a while.

We've now reached a point where middle dd (13) needs her own bedroom. Her little brother is annoying her and she is embarrassed to have friends over.

We have found a company who will build us a floor to ceiling bunk bed as a room divider and split the one room into two box sized rooms. At the end of the bunk will be a doorframe with a fully opening and closing door. This will be cladded so that there are no gaps between the two sides of the bed - essentially creating two box rooms.

Middle dd has said she would like the existing orginal box room ( currently dd14 bedroom) to be her room, she is the only one out of the three who hasn't had use of it. She is also the only one of the three to have always had to share a room.

The original box room can only fit a shorty style bed which is perfect as middle dd is quite small. The two new box rooms fit full sized single mattresses which is better for dd14 as she is taller than me.
Where my eldest dd and youngest ds both have adhd and asd they are night owls staying up watching tv until the early hours. Middle dd loves routine and is often asleep by 10ish.

Eldest dd14 is refusing to even discuss a move into one of the newly built box rooms.
She is quite literally claiming squatters' rights. Generally speaking, it's often her way or no way, she isn't able to have calm discussions and will have a meltdown if I try to discuss it with her. When we first brought the topic up (in the car) she shouted a lot and repeatedly shouted no over and over and kicked the back of my chair quite hard.

My gut tells me that middle dd13 is due her turn in the existing box room. I think it's better for the two children that stay up all night to share a party wall rather than all three be awake because either one of them is bugging middle dd.

I also feel that as a family we have always prioritised dd14 needs and that she does need to accept that sometimes in life she can't always get her own way and needs to learn to compromise.

So aibu to insist that DD14 move into one of the newly built box rooms.which fits a bed more suitable for her size? Does DD14 have squatters' rights? Or does DD13 have a fair argument in that she needs some peace and quiet and her turn of the original box room? DD13 has been sharing and compromising for the last two years by sharing with her brother so I do feel her argument has a fair bit of weight to it

OP posts:
Bruisername · 20/10/2024 20:49

I have a dd same age with adhd and I would keep her where she is. Perhaps I’m just sentimental but I was very attached to my childhood bedroom! Why disrupt 3 when you can just disrupt 2.

I also don’t understand why your kids are watching tv and making noise after 10 pm at their ages either!

MilletOver · 20/10/2024 20:50

Bettycrocker7 · 20/10/2024 20:42

This is very helpful.
I find it very difficult to assert myself as a parent with her. A counsellor thinks we are stuck in the Karpman drama triangle and I need to pull my big girl pants up. With my other two children what I say goes, my eldest can be quite full on when she is having a meltdown and then i get quite intimidated. I think that's a really good idea to show her visual signs that the move is happening.

DH needs to be calmly and resolutely alongside you in this. Tag teaming and backing each other up

Bettycrocker7 · 20/10/2024 20:51

WhatsInTheRug · 20/10/2024 19:55

Who gets the radiator and window?

Dd14 will have both. The radiator is under the window. Ds could care less about things like that, he would sleep on the floor if I let him.

OP posts:
WaitingForMojo · 20/10/2024 20:53

hollerout · 20/10/2024 20:24

@WaitingForMojo you know the saying - if you have met one person with autism you have met one person with autism? OP is the mother of this child. She knows her child best and thinks this is a reasonable thing to do.

Which if you’d read my post, you’d know I think so too.

I just don’t think the dd is a spoilt brat for reacting the way she has.

biedrona · 20/10/2024 20:54

Sorry, 10 year old boy shares a room with a 13 girl?

Bettycrocker7 · 20/10/2024 20:56

MilletOver · 20/10/2024 20:47

You have well founded logical reasons for thinking the older Dd should move, reasons that actually work in everyone’s best interests.

As the parent it is your job, responsibility and privilege to make the decision.

I think your dilemma is how best to manage the decision and change with your Dd. With as little drama as possible and emphasising that the other two are also required to take the space allocated to them.

Your Dd knows that her brother was moved out of that room, it is now her turn to be moved out. Work out what will make the transition easiest for her.

I think you are right.
What I am going to struggle with is how to stay firm and hold my own once the decision is made. Dd14 knows a tantrum or three will weaken my position. I do want to make any transition as smooth as possible for her but I know she will be quite rejectful of any support I offer.

OP posts:
WaitingForMojo · 20/10/2024 20:57

Bettycrocker7 · 20/10/2024 20:42

This is very helpful.
I find it very difficult to assert myself as a parent with her. A counsellor thinks we are stuck in the Karpman drama triangle and I need to pull my big girl pants up. With my other two children what I say goes, my eldest can be quite full on when she is having a meltdown and then i get quite intimidated. I think that's a really good idea to show her visual signs that the move is happening.

Does this counsellor understand autism, meltdown and demand avoidance though? For some children, a low demand, collaborative approach is necessary.

Bigsigh24 · 20/10/2024 20:58

Do you really think your 14 yo child has ‘squatters rights’ that’s weird, sorry but no.

Do the build , explain what’s happening, both you and DH, prepare a strategy for the fallout, and crack on. Be the parent / adult and be reasonable to be equally fair to all your children and not just the one who kicks off the most. Also why or are you, not tackling the staying up late, surely you know that teenagers are growing and they need sleep, how’s she functioning at school ?

orangegato · 20/10/2024 20:58

I feel for all the kids as you adults have control of the situation yet this is what you’ve created for them.

Move house? While middle DD should logically get the room I’d kick off massively if I was the eldest having to suffer because my parents had more children than they could afford to house properly.

WaitingForMojo · 20/10/2024 20:58

Bettycrocker7 · 20/10/2024 20:56

I think you are right.
What I am going to struggle with is how to stay firm and hold my own once the decision is made. Dd14 knows a tantrum or three will weaken my position. I do want to make any transition as smooth as possible for her but I know she will be quite rejectful of any support I offer.

This I think is the issue. A meltdown is not a tantrum.

You’re not wrong to make her move, but imo you are wrong to view it as behavioural manipulation.

Bettycrocker7 · 20/10/2024 20:58

Gcsunnyside23 · 20/10/2024 19:29

The younger daughter has drawn the short straw repeatedly so she deserves her own space now. It's only fair. It wasn't fair for you to bring it up in the car, you knew how your daughter would react. How do you usually deal with conflict with your oldest?

Normally if I address any boundaries that have been crossed, she will have a meltdown.
I will try to explain to her that there are consequences for crossing a boundary and she will either walk off, kick off or just ignore me.

OP posts:
fragrantdisregard · 20/10/2024 20:59

Your elder daughter will have to learn to get along with others at some point, and now is as good a time as any to begin. She won't always get her own way, nor should she. It's only fair to switch things around to give your younger daughter some time in that room, and given that it's more practical in other ways (bed sizes, noise levels across shared walls), I wouldn't take 'no' for an answer.

Bettycrocker7 · 20/10/2024 21:01

orangegato · 20/10/2024 20:58

I feel for all the kids as you adults have control of the situation yet this is what you’ve created for them.

Move house? While middle DD should logically get the room I’d kick off massively if I was the eldest having to suffer because my parents had more children than they could afford to house properly.

When we had the two girls close in age, nerudoversity wasn't on the table. I had wrongly assumed they would grow up sharing a room stealing eachothers clothes and makeup and chatting all night. It seemed OK to go ahead and have a.third child at that stage.

OP posts:
Bruisername · 20/10/2024 21:02

you have to separate the adhd behaviour from bad behaviour though. My dd has the mother of all tantrums if we say no to her. We have to ride it out and then discuss when she’s calm. We are trying really hard to help her with her emotion dysregulation but I can totally see when she has lost control. A lot of people would just think she’s a brat

They are not compliant children and that may well serve them well as adults but they need to learn how to get on without going nuclear

redalex261 · 20/10/2024 21:02

@DanielaDressen and @Jifmicroliquid are entirely right. You are the parent. You've decided what the most practical arrangement for the entire family is given the limited space available and the differing timetables/behaviours of your three children.

After all, what would happen if the family had to move house and she wanted to stay put and kicked off? Would you acquiesce? I appreciate ADHD and autism are challenging to manage (for the person themself and their family) but you have to decide if this is a demand or a need. If your daughter attends mainstream education, is expected to progress to further education and then into productive employment she will need to navigate not having all her preferences met even if this is uncomfortable for her.

Bettycrocker7 · 20/10/2024 21:04

ExtraVotes · 20/10/2024 19:49

Is the room to be split the medium sized room or is it the largest too
?

It's medium/large. Splitting it creates two small rooms that can fit a single bed, desk, wardrobe and drawers each.

OP posts:
suburburban · 20/10/2024 21:04

orangegato · 20/10/2024 20:58

I feel for all the kids as you adults have control of the situation yet this is what you’ve created for them.

Move house? While middle DD should logically get the room I’d kick off massively if I was the eldest having to suffer because my parents had more children than they could afford to house properly.

Isn't that a bit harsh

Do you think dc shouldn't share rooms?

OP is doing her best

WhatsInTheRug · 20/10/2024 21:06

Have your HA agreed all this?

Is it ok to have a room with a door but no window? For fire escape purposes

I've been looking to downsize and saw a house I liked and was told it was 3 bed but no it was a 2 bed with one of these partition things. It was awful. Just no room to move. No window for one (obvs) but they were made to remove it....and that created a bigger issue when knocked down

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 20/10/2024 21:07

A child can’t claim squatters rights over a room in their parents’ house! That’s ridiculous.

I agree with everyone saying dd2 should get her turn. It sounds best for everyone.

She will grow up thinking her needs always come last otherwise.

HashtagFunMoms · 20/10/2024 21:11

Why are they allowed to stay up till the early hours? Isn’t one of them 10?

yeaitsmeagain · 20/10/2024 21:12

Another2Cats · 20/10/2024 18:51

Quite ok, here is an example of how it's done

Is that legal? I thought bedrooms had to have their own window.

Whoknows101 · 20/10/2024 21:14

Haven't read entire post or replies, but whatever solution you find, it absolutely cannot involve an 11+ year old boy sharing a room with one of his sisters if there is any possible alternative (which clearly isn't the case).

Bettycrocker7 · 20/10/2024 21:14

wellIguessitwouldberice · 20/10/2024 20:20

Not the point of your post I know but is your 10 year old ds regularly staying up until the early hours? How does he function at school the next day?!

He functions well, school reports are good. No behaviour issues .Eldest dd is falling asleep in class and we are in desperate need of melatonin. We have tried removing the tv after a certain time but her meltdowns are LOUD and full on and camhs advised that perhaps the background noise is soothing for her? Either way once they rationalised it in front of her that was that argument said and done.

OP posts:
thepariscrimefiles · 20/10/2024 21:16

Where is your DH in all this? Would your elder daughter listen to him?

Westofeasttoday · 20/10/2024 21:16

DoreenonTill8 · 20/10/2024 19:11

This, does her siblings have to follow her demands generally? I also feel that as a family we have always prioritised dd14 needs

I can't believe you've made a 13 girl share with a younger brother to mollify a sibling.

I would say it’s because she is clearly in charge and the mum is acting like the child.

The parent is in charge and makes the rules. Stop placating to your daughter and do what’s best for everyone.