Location of kids bedrooms...

[LizLemonsGlasses]

...does it really matter whether they're upstairs or down?

I've been pondering this for a while as the house we're buying has two beds upstairs and two downstairs. None are beside each other, so we'll all be a bit spread out no matter who goes where.

The upstairs ones are a bit bigger and all but the downstairs back bedroom have a built in wardrobe.

I'm going to and fro on whether we should go upstairs, and the DDs downstairs (ie we'd all be on the same floor daytime and evenings) or if it's better to have them upstairs with the bigger rooms (ie plenty of room to play) and we go into one of the smaller downstairs rooms.

As I say, we'll all be spread out, which we're already sort of used to - in our current house our bedroom is at the other end of the house from the DDs who currently share (they're 4 and 8) so we use a monitor for reassurance more than anything, as we can still just about hear them without it.

I think being on a different floor from them might take a bit of getting used to though - or will it? Do you just quickly adjust to whatever sleeping arrangements you make anyway?

I think I would prefer the kids upstairs, partly as when teenagers harder to sneak out! Plus if god forbid someone broke in they wouldn't get to the kids first

To answer your last question first, yes, you'd get used to whatever arrangement. We've lived with both and the house where we slept on the floor below the kids I felt more secure in. I think it's the thought that any intruder would have to pass your floor first (irrational I know) and as the kids get older you'd be able to hear them sneaking out, or sneaking back in!

Firm alarms are essential - that's possibly the only real risk of sleeping on seperate floors. My kids knew the drill too in case of emergencies - in our house we had a flat roof they could climb onto.

XP with Brie (am too slow on this phone!)

I agree, I would definitely want the dc upstairs. I would take a downstairs bedroom for myself.

If you want them on the same level as you, could they perhaps continue sharing a room, and have a playroom downstairs?

Our master is downstairs, other bedrooms upstairs. The DC (7 and almost 4) refuse to sleep upstairs, so DH does They say they're scared. We did get them up there for a couple of months, but they shared a single bed together, absolutely couldn't get them alone in their rooms. DC2 was shaking in fear when we tried that..

So bear in mind, the DC might not be comfortable being on a different floor from you anyway.

Hm. Security and fire risks are certainly something I want to consider, but I also don't want to be ruled by the fear that something terrible is going to happen IYSWIM.

They currrently share but seem keen to have their own rooms when we move, although I think it's possible they might want to share for a bit longer until they're used to the new place. One of my concerns is for DD1 to have a bit of space for herself as she's that wee bit older than DD2 and will need room to read/study/have friends without being annoyed by DD2! I suppose if there was a designated space for this elsewhere eg in a playroom or other living area, that might solve that issue?

HerRoyalNotness that's a tricky one - hope we're not like that in a few weeks!

The other thing is that the biggest room, which is upstairs, has a space which would be great to convert into an ensuite at some point, so it would make sense for us to be in that room. (And perhaps there's a large bit of me which likes that one the best too..!) However that may well be after the children move out, as we don't expect to have many pennies left after the move!