creating privacy for grumpy 10 year old in shared bedroom

[dangermouseisace]

I'd appreciate some ideas as my head is going around in circles.

We were made homeless earlier in the year so are now in a very nice, but not very big, 3 bed council house. 3 kids and myself. My 2 boys (10 and 8) share the only double bedroom. My daughter (the youngest) and I have a single bedroom each.

My eldest son has never had his own room, but in our old place there were 4 bedrooms (one was a playroom for the boys) so there was at least scope for getting away from his siblings. He's now keeps going on that he wants his own room, and is rather annoyed that my daughter has one. He thinks that as he is the eldest he should have his own room- I've explained that it doesn't quite work like that! His younger brother absolutely idolises him and although they are best mates most of the time, sometimes it can get a bit much for him, and he gets frustrated that it is difficult to get some time out.

I've said that basically, there is 0 chance of him getting his own room in the next few years, and we'll just have to work on creating some sort of privacy within the set up that we have got. Which is where I get a bit stuck. The room isn't huge, about 4 x 3.5m and the window is at the far end so it can't be split without someone living in a windowless box. They don't have any furniture except lego trays and single beds with drawers (no wardrobes) so no way of creating room dividers. The boys have had bunk beds before and are not keen on having them again.

Any ideas?

My 9 and 5 year old boys share. They have mid sleeper beds that have a tented den underneath and a tunnel tent thing over the bed bit.
DS1 has a light understanding this bed and a couple of bean bags so he goes in there and reads etc.
We are lucky that we have a conservatory that contains all the toys so bedroom is just for sleeping/quiet time and DS2 doesn't spend much time in the bedroom anyway.

I am watching with interest as I am in a similar position as you OP! Currently sharing a room with my 4yo DD and my 9yo DD. My 7yo has her own single room as she is an extremely light sleeper and was always waking up in the night.

My 9yo is craving some privacy but the room is really too cramped to introduce new shelves/bookcases. It's also long and narrow so it doesn't really work well.

I love the idea of the Argos screen! It's a bit pricy for me at the moment but might be the easiest option for now.

Do you have a dining room you could use? At least as a playroom.

If not I do think if the other suggestions don't work he is old enough to suck it up a bit.

There must be loads of kids who share who would love their own room but can't.

In my area there are literally no empty council houses, most families who are made homeless end up in expensive private let meaning 4 in a two bed or such. I know families who have been waiting years for 3/4 beds which they desperately need.

no, no dining room- kitchen just big enough to squeeze a table into.

We were very lucky to get a council house as our area seems to be one of the few that hasn't sold them all off.

It could always be worse I keep reminding him- we did have 5 of us living in a 2 bed until a couple of years ago, and there were all 3 of them in the one room (that was fun). And I could always get granny to tell him tales of what it was like having 8 people in a 2 bed flat when she was a kid!!

Mine are similar age and share. They both have high sleepers - they have more of their own space with stuff under and over their beds. As they become teens I have no idea though.

When I was younger I was middle child and always shared. Oldest or youngest got their own room, I was bang out of luck being middle and all being girls. I remember curtains round beds at one point, from curtain tracks in the ceiling.

might have to keep my room tidy so ds can escape into it fate and obviously that is the cheapest option!

The fact that you were made homeless earlier in the year and got a 3 bed council house that are like gold dust the same year is astonishing.

The amount of families that end up in hostels, B&Bs, tiny private rentals in those circumstances is phenomenal.

Your son is just going to have to suck it up. You are all lucky you have a long term decent sized home.

I know you're not keen on bunk beds but how about this sort of thing? They could each have a shelf all around the bed, some plug sockets, even a TV, space for books, their own light...

Could they each have an Ikea Kura bed flipped up and then the underneath curtained off so they each have their own den space?

My 3 DC, all girls, share the largest bedroom. They're teenagers now, and it has been OK, though not without some difficulties, as you can imagine. Our set-up is a bit like MooseyMouse's picture, though the beds aren't together, they're in different parts of the room. I suggest bunkbeds/high sleepers for your boys, but two sets - and they sleep in the top bunk and have the bottom one for a desk, play area, etc. Keep them in different parts of the room. That means each boy has his own defined space. Use curtains or blinds around the top bunk and attach them to the ceiling. Shelves at bed height and their own lights, etc. I would try to do a partial subdivision of the room using a wardrobe as well, but not if they're going to use it as a climbing wall or jump off it!

If you have a garden I'd go down the shed route, we have a nice one from B&Q that only cost £100 on a sale a while back and is made of plastic it's lovely and dry inside has one window and he could lock it.
If you can find on one sale somewhere he's old enough to help put it together with you. He could get a chair and some shelves and an old desk in it from freecycle or somewhere like that.

DH likes to remind our DC when they moan about sharing that when he were a lad, there were eight kids (teenagers) in one room, so four sets of bunkbeds and a chest of drawers each in a room about the same size that our three DDs share (bigger than the OP's double room). No, his family weren't living in difficult circumstances, his parents had paid for it deliberately - It was a posh boarding school.

wiifit sorry but that's total nonsense. What happens when the boy and girl sharing reach puberty? It's much more appropriate to have 2 kids of the same sex in the double and the other in the single.

Unfortunately I think your son just needs to suck it up. Moving anyone around (i.e. Your DD in with you) but give it a few years and the situation won't be so great and you will be in an even worse position!

Your son needs to appreciate that he is lucky to only have to share with one sibling! A bedroom each would be nice, but as you've said it's simply not possible.

daisy that is hilarious

chipmunk Shed is a feasible idea- I'd have to get permission but I can't see that the council would say no…although everyone would want a go it would be an extra space and less attractive to the other two for more than 5 mins.