Blended family, who gets the small bedroom?

PasturesNew

My parents never had the "master bedroom" - that was always the room for two of us to share because we also had our toys in the room.

Maybe the parents should have the two smallest rooms - one to sleep in and one for your junk.

clairec79

Just saw about your weightlifting stuff going in the big room - just no (unless one of the kids also enjoys weightlifting and uses it - and you are happy with them using it without your supervision, and even then ask first)

You put any child in what is basically your gym and they are going to feel marginalised and pushed out, regardless of how big the room is

Can't the weightlifting stuff go in the master bedroom (and if it wouldn't fit in that room - you and your girlfriend go into the room where it does fit)

fairy_lights

Why on earth are you going to use one of your children's bedrooms as your home gym? Can't you store your weights in your own bedroom?

tiz

Sit down and chat with the older child and discuss it. Say you understand why he'd like the bigger room, but you think it might suit the younger one better. Then say to make it fair you'd like to give him a bonus of some kind - what does he think of that and what would he like. Maybe you can resolve it all amicably with some tickets to an event or driving lessons or something so everyone ends up happy.

Although if you want to use it for a gym, it might be better suited to the child least there so you can use it when they aren't rather than being in their way. In which case, see if the younger one would like a bonus instead.

pinkshoes

Tell your 16 year old he can have the large attic room or a small room.

The other bigger room should go to her 12 year old.

Your 12 year old and her 10 year old should get the small rooms, unless your 16 year old declines the attic room of course...

Do not even think about storing your stuff in a kids room! Put it in a garage or a garden shed!

74jax

pinkshoes wrote: »

Tell your 16 year old he can have the large attic room or a small room.

The other bigger room should go to her 12 year old.

Your 12 year old and her 10 year old should get the small rooms, unless your 16 year old declines the attic room of course...

Do not even think about storing your stuff in a kids room! Put it in a garage or a garden shed!

Totally agree with all of the above.

I would not have a child 'dibs' a room.

bigheadxx

My eldest uses the gym stuff as well and so it makes sense for it to be in his room and he is quite happy for me to use it. At the moment I have a loft room where the gym stuff is but we won't have the luxury of a spare room if there is 6 of us. I think my eldest would feel more marginalised if he had the smaller room and I want them to know that it is "home" and not just "staying" at dads.

My girlfriends eldest is who i considered sweetening the deal for, maybe a big TV/gaming chair?

svain

I dont see a problem with a child "dibsing" a room no-one else wants - People love to complicate things for sake of it or like to "lay their laws down" when its not needed .... Sit down with the 16 year old and treat him like an adult and come to an agreement. He wont feel marginalised if you communicate with him .... I would strongly disagree with giving up the obvious master bedroom though. This is your house and you are paying the bills .... Thats as far as i would go in "laying down the law"

Money_maker

How lucky these boys are to have a room apiece, perhaps the suggestion that they share would stop the squabbling about something so insignificant as size of own room.


Edit: particularly if you need to use a large TV/gaming chair as a form of blackmail. Get real!

bigheadxx

svain wrote: »

I dont see a problem with a child "dibsing" a room no-one else wants - People love to complicate things for sake of it or like to "lay their laws down" when its not needed .... Sit down with the 16 year old and treat him like an adult and come to an agreement. He wont feel marginalised if you communicate with him .... I would strongly disagree with giving up the obvious master bedroom though. This is your house and you are paying the bills .... Thats as far as i would go in "laying down the law"

I agree with this entirely. The loft room is, hopefully, sorted. I would much rather my son have the bigger room and I think the other two will feel more comfortable in the whole house as they will be there most of the time whereas he will have his own space.