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Should older kids always get the biggest bedrooms?

stepquestions's picture

I have to switch up all the bedrooms In my house next summer. Here are the kids and custody

  1. 12F - 25% custody
  2. 10F - 25% custody
  3. 8.5F - 50% custody
  4. 3M - 100% with us
  5. 9moF - 100% with us

For the kids we have:

  1. Large upstairs room
  2. Small upstairs room
  3. Small room with sliding door (not a real room) - about half the size of the basement room.
  4. Basement Large room

8.5F is rarely here at the same time as 10F and 12F.

One option, for now until our 100% kids get older:

  1. Large upstairs - 3M and 9mo share
  2. Small upstairs - 8.5F
  3. Small sliding door - 10F
  4. Large Basement - 12F
  • Then in a couple years:
  1. Large upstairs - 3M
  2. Small upstairs - 9moF
  3. Small sliding door - 10F
  4. Large basement - 12F and 8.5F (on opposite schedules)

Do you guys think that's a good arrangement? When they grow older I think it's reasonable to give the best rooms to my then 3yo and 5yo, especially since they are there always.

I'm not sure about division of the basement room. Since 8.5F is here more,  should she have more space?

I don't want any hard feelings, so they feel like our babies are higher priority than the older kids. It's so hard.

 

Rags's picture

Full timers get room priority.  With toddlers the room closest to  the the adults room can be the nursery regardless of  room size until the LOs get big enough to have a bed.  Then start looking at shifting the full timers to the bigger rooms as is age appropriate for the 100%ers.

KISS. Keep It Stupid Simple.

Don't let emotion cloud judgment in making decisions that are best for the full timers.  Anyone's emotion that is.  The 25%ers get where they fit in the way that minimizes overall household interference.  Since they are on opposite schedules one room will suffice for both of them to share since only one is there at a time. The 50%er gets more consideration regarding a dedicated room than do the 25%ers.  
 

IMHO

Mominit's picture

In my mind those who share the room get the larger room.  The littles should be close to Mom and Dad.  I think your first set up is perfect, but your down the road one may not be.  I'm not sure that an 10 year old should be in a room with a sliding door for 6 years until the 12 year old moves out.  The 3 year old until 9 seems like a better fit for that.  Unless you're willing to bite the bullet and turn it into a proper room with a proper door, I wouldn't put a teenager (10-16) of either gender into a room with little privacy over a 3 -9 year old. Perhaps you ask the child at that time.  Do you want the smaller room upstairs or the rooom away from mom and dad but without a door.  Your little will have pick of their rooms as soon as she is gone.

ESMOD's picture

it's more than age that dictates.  clearly smaller kids can share barring issues with them "getting along"..  the schedules matter too and having kids who are on opposite schedules share a room when there could be occasional overlap is fine.. .

I would also be liable to want more sharing with one room being more of a "play room"/guest room  that was the set up for my brother and I untl I was 12 (he was younger).  we shared a room but had a room where we could play.. watch TV.. but was also a guest room occasionally.  

sharing a room has lots of benefits.. kids learn cooperation.. they can have comfort and camraderie with their siblings (bio or not).. but if there are concerns with over the top bullying.. great age difference.. (more than 5 years)... it may not be as good of a solution.  

I would also want the youngest to be closer to parents.. for ease because they will need more immediate access than the older kids would

 

Harry's picture

You are the queen of the house.  You do wgat ever is easier for you.  3 month and 9 months??? living with you full time gets the easier space where you can take care of them. 

Dogmom1321's picture

Full-time should dictate room size and location and trump age.

We have 4 bedrooms upstairs, all relatively the same size. I decided when choosing the "nursery" before DS3 was even born that his room should be closest to the bathroom and laundry room. Newborns = lots of laundry. I also did not want DS having to walk past stairs to use the bathroom once he got to his toddler years. 

Of course at the time SD14 felt slighted and "wasn't fair". I did not even consider prioritizng her location because she is not even here 50% of the time.