Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

Flip

Original poster

3 children - 2 bedrooms - what is the best configuration?

19 replies

martincat · 07/02/2008 23:46

I am at a loss as to what to do about this. We have just downsized (due to money - of course!!) into a 3 bed ex council house. Our bedroom is huge, and that's where 9 month-old DD is at the moment. DS2 aged 4 and a half is in the boxroom and DS1 aged 15 has a decent sized room. We were going to get the loft done, but given the current financial climate have decided we do not dare to borrow the money right now. But poor little DD has to go from our bedroom. We are not the kind of people who can relax and enjoy a "full married life(!)" with her there although she is no trouble at all really, bless her. My current thinking is this: We move DS2 and her into our huge room as we can give them each their own space, plenty of room for their own toys etc as the age gap is quite wide and they are different sexes. This would put us in DS1's room and poor old DS1 would have to fit his 6 foot frame into the boxroom. To be fair, he has never had a particularly small bedroom before and he never has friends round being one of these kids who seems to do all his socialising online when not at school..... We do have a good sized kitchen diner which has it's own telly, bean bags etc so he could take friends there and we could use the living room and the little ones their bedroom... But is this the right choice or am I missing something really obvious?? I would be very grateful for any thoughts and sorry about the length of this post btw!!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

IndulgeMePlease · 07/02/2008 23:49

How about both boys in your big room, little one in box and you and DP in DS1s old room?

twospecialgirls · 07/02/2008 23:51

no ideas for you but i feel for you its so hard we have three bedrooms and we have to move when we dicide to have another baby but cant reallly afford to move !! its so hard and im sure your sonwould be understanding as at least he doesnt have to share and when i was 15 i was just glad of my own space no matter what the size x

twospecialgirls · 07/02/2008 23:52

oh no a 15 yr old sharing with a little one thats not fair he needs his own space

Original poster

martincat · 07/02/2008 23:55

That's what I thought - twospecialgirls - no matter what, at least DS1 can shut the door on his own room, I think they really do need it at that age so maybe I have got it right!

OP posts:

MAMAZON · 07/02/2008 23:58

how handy is your Dh? could he put up a stud wall in your room so that it makes 2 smaller bedroom's?

uprightsoapy · 07/02/2008 23:59

I would do it differently!

DS1 and DS2 in your room. DD in the box room. You and DH in the mid-sized room.

Scramble · 07/02/2008 23:59

I would give the 15yr old his own room, yes the box room especially if he can use the kitchen diner for extra space.

4yr old and 9mth old can share fine for years yet, I would set up the room to give defined space for each though, make sure you do have enough room in the room you are going to use, I tried using the single room no use for a kingsize bed.

In our old flat DD and DS (5 and 8 at the time) shared a small double room with a single and dinky bed and for a while they shared a queensize bed, when I did the room up for selling, they loved it. They took a while to adjust to seperate rooms when we moved.

IndulgeMePlease · 07/02/2008 23:59

Depends on their temperaments I suppose - I shared until I was 19 with my 13-year-younger sister, it was fine, but then I did spend a lot of time out of the house. Good luck with it, I'm sure you'll find a way that suits everyone, most of the time!

Original poster

martincat · 08/02/2008 00:03

But uprightsoapy - see the other posts. Don't you think a 15 year-old needs his own space? MAMAZON - I am wondering about this. DH could indeed do a partition, but it would also involve making a fixed window open, putting in a radiator, power points etc and you would lose space because you would have to create a corridor that leads to the doors to the rooms. Is it worth doing that just to avoid DS2 and DD sharing. What do people think of the age gap - he is a quite old for his age 4 and a half and she is rising 10 months?

OP posts:

sb6699 · 08/02/2008 00:04

I think you've got it for the mo.

When lo gets a bit older I don't think it's a problem for her and DS2 to share for a little while until you can get the money together for a loft conversion. They will be too young to be embarassed about being different sexes for a good while longer!!

I rent privately and have 3 weeks left to find another house as landlord wants to move back in. I have 3 dcs and am seriously considering a 2 bed due to the cost of renting in my area (can't find anything under £1k pcm).

Hopefully it will only be for 6 months until we get our house in Glasgow sold and can buy something but even with DH earning decent money and a healthy deposit we will still have to look at shared ownership. House prices are ridiculous.

MAMAZON · 08/02/2008 00:05

yuo wouldnt need a corridor really, DD is young enough to just use a door from DS2's room for now.

power points aren't that difficult to put in really as they could be positioned on the partition wall.

i think in the long term it would be the best option.

Original poster

martincat · 08/02/2008 00:06

Good point Scramble - we do have a kingsize bed but we think it will squeeze in. I like your thoughts on defined space - that's where I'm going at the moment and the image of your 2 sharing a queensize bed and loving it - makes me feel a lot better about the whole thing.

OP posts:

cosima · 08/02/2008 00:08

you have got it right. 15 year old definately needs his own room.

Scramble · 08/02/2008 00:08

I wouldn't bother with a partition wall, unless getting them to sleep was an issue.

Other wise if you really wanted to divde it you could curtain off a section, with book case or chest of drawers at the bottom either side to make sure they don't grab curtain and pull it down.

Original poster

martincat · 08/02/2008 00:09

at your rental prices sb6699! I note your advice MAMAZON. I think I'm definitely inclining towards them sharing at the moment but will see what DH thinks of the partition wall idea.

OP posts:

Scramble · 08/02/2008 00:12

Ikea has some great ideas in their rooms sets for intimate living spaces.

Original poster

martincat · 08/02/2008 00:17

Hah! I was just looking at the Ikea website! Scramble - you are on my wavelength! By the way sb6699 best of luck in sorting your accommodation out - you must be in a stressful place atm.

Must go to bed now or DH will be annoyed. No, not that(!) (DD's in there, remember?) it's just that I always wake him when I try to sneak in quietly...

Goodnight to all and thanks for some excellent advice!

OP posts:

cory · 08/02/2008 07:48

DD and ds shared a tiny boxroom until dd was 9 and ds 6. No problems at all. I never felt guilty about it, either: houses of more than 3 bedrooms are really rare around here, and lots of them only have 2, so siblings sharing is a common thing, lots of their mates do it.

annoyingdevil · 08/02/2008 14:01

My dd and ds are going in together soon (dp needs the spare room for an office) I really don't think it's an issue when they're young. More important that your teenager gets a room of his own. I'm sure he'd rather be in a box room than share with a 4 year old

Flip