T'smom Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 We're thinking of buying a house that has 3 bedrooms on the second floor and one in the basement. Right now, we have a 3 yo boy and a 10 month old girl. We are planning on having 2 more kids. The "master bedroom" is really big with one very large walk-in closet. One bedroom is tiny with two large walk-in closets and one is tiny with NO closet at all. Since there is not a bath attached to the master, I don't mind using the tiny room with two closets. After all, dh and I only sleep and dress in our bedroom, it would be nice to have a room that the kids can actually play in. Right now, I don't mind them sharing the large room and the next baby having the tiny room without a closet. BUT- what about when that baby gets older? And I'm not sure when I'll be uncomfortable with boy/girl sharing. I want to have a plan. I don't mind changing plans.....but I need to have one to start with. Maybe have the kids share and then when #3 comes along and grows out of a 'nursery' they bunk with whichever same-gendered sibling they have? And the ones who have to share get the big room? I don't think I will want the anyone in the basement bedroom for a looooong time. I just don't think I'd be comfortable with them two floors away from us. But maybe I will earlier than I think? I don't know. I really like this house and I want it to work. When I graduated from college I bought a little sporty two-door car and I actually thought to myself....I don't need to worry about fitting car seats in this- by that time I'll have a different car anyway. Well, we still have that car. It's late and I'm rambling. I just wanted someone to think this through with. WWYD? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clarkacademy Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 Thats a tough call. I guess I would wait to see how it all figures out, when sharing becomes an issue and all between genders. I think it kind of depends on the kids too. Some may need space others may be happier with sibs close. I would just wait it out as long as it is working for them, make choices when the need arises. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sushi's Mom Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 You take the master bedroom. Kids each get their own room. When you have another child, put that one and the child of the same gender in the room with the two closets. Take off the door to one of the closets, have the opening enlarged, so that area now becomes part of the bedroom. If you have a fourth child, and it turns out the be the same gender as the other tow, then you can move all three of them into the master. If you wind up with two and two, hmm, you'll have to figure that out when it happens. That should a bit tough. No kids sleeping in the basement, especially if there is radon down there. Long term exposure to radon can possibly cause lung cancer. Have the house tested before you buy it. If the radon levels are high, either don't buy the house, or make the sellers install a mitigation system, or give you a credit so you can have one installed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbmom Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 When kids are young I don't see a problem with mixed gender siblings sharing a room. If you keep the same spacing you have already, I can see the older 3 in the big room with the baby in the nursery and that should get you through at least the next 5-7 years. At that point, you could either move the oldest into the small room and the younger 3 can share the big room or if you wind up with 3 of one gender and only one of the other, the single gender sibling can have the small room, and the other 3 can share. That arrangement should work out until you are ready to move the oldest downstairs ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T'smom Posted June 20, 2011 Author Share Posted June 20, 2011 You take the master bedroom. Kids each get their own room. When you have another child' date=' put that one and the child of the same gender in the room with the two closets. Take off the door to one of the closets, have the opening enlarged, so that area now becomes part of the bedroom. If you have a fourth child, and it turns out the be the same gender as the other tow, then you can move all three of them into the master. If you wind up with two and two, hmm, you'll have to figure that out when it happens. That should a bit tough. No kids sleeping in the basement, especially if there is radon down there. Long term exposure to radon can possibly cause lung cancer. Have the house tested before you buy it. If the radon levels are high, either don't buy the house, or make the sellers install a mitigation system, or give you a credit so you can have one installed.[/quote'] That's brilliant! The opening up one of the closets idea! That could work really well! We will definitely have inspections done and wouldn't buy a house with major problems (and radon would definitely be a major problem- at least in my mind!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T'smom Posted June 20, 2011 Author Share Posted June 20, 2011 When kids are young I don't see a problem with mixed gender siblings sharing a room. If you keep the same spacing you have already, I can see the older 3 in the big room with the baby in the nursery and that should get you through at least the next 5-7 years. At that point, you could either move the oldest into the small room and the younger 3 can share the big room or if you wind up with 3 of one gender and only one of the other, the single gender sibling can have the small room, and the other 3 can share. That arrangement should work out until you are ready to move the oldest downstairs ;) This is good too.....I like the idea of either the three oldest or three youngest together. That could definitely work..... I just like to have something worked out in my mind about how things are going to go. Thanks for helping me brainstorm! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrappyhappymama Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 If it were me, I'd take the large master, but keep the baby in the room with us. Then I'd give your son the room with the closets and make the third room a playroom and the basement room a workout/craft room for mom & dad. When you have another baby, move the little one in with her brother and keep the playroom. With a fourth, move baby number three up, and if you think it's time to separate genders then move the "odd one out" into the room without a closet with an armoire, put the two matching gendered children in the room with the closets, keep the baby with you and move the playroom to the bedroom in the basement. :D I have four (all the same gender tho, so it makes it easier) and I'd rather have them all sleep in the same room and have a playroom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T'smom Posted June 20, 2011 Author Share Posted June 20, 2011 There is a large family room in the basement which we would basically use as a playroom/family room. And a room on the main floor that the current owners are using as an office, but that we would use as a schoolroom. We'd use the bedroom in the basement as a guest room (my family all lives a long way away and they like to come for a week or so at a time) but probably have a treadmill (for me) weights (for dh) too. And maybe a desk with office-type stuff. The "baby" at the time is always with us- we co-sleep, but it's nice to have a nursery for the changing table and stuff. (There's a crib in there too......we just don't use it!) But that's definitely not necessary if the older kids have space needs. Thanks for all the great ideas....they're really helping me think it through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 I think you should add more to the equation. What is it about the house that you really like? In other words, is the smaller size worth it because of all the other factors? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T'smom Posted June 20, 2011 Author Share Posted June 20, 2011 Oh, sure- the size is one of the things we like! It's only the bedrooms that are small. There's a large living room, formal dining room, good-sized kitchen, that form a u-shape around an office that opens with french doors to the dining room. There's a mudroom and a pantry. A half-bath on the main floor. A small-but fenced in- backyard. It's within walking distance to the library/parks. The current owners have really fixed things up- there's gorgeous woodwork on the main floor. The basement has a fairly large family room, bedroom, full bath, laundry room and an unfinished section that has a workbench and storage. The upstairs is 3 beds/full bath. The things we don't like - The garage is not attached (we live in a climate where I don't really like to be lugging babies outside to get to the garage) but it is large- it's behind the house. The kitchen isn't huge. It's 100 years old. Resale value? It's 100 years now.....how hard will it be to sell in 20 years? Technically, the 100 year and unattached garage are supposed to cross it off of our list. Those are things that we said were no-gos. We wouldn't have gone to look at it, except that there was an open house and it was on our way somewhere. Then we both really liked it. The layout is the best thing- there is a place to do school that can be closed off when people are over. There is a big place for kids to play away from the living room. This means that we can host bible studies at our house with a babysitter in the playroom. There is a place that my parents can stay and be a little separated from the rest of the house. This is important to me- I want them to be as comfortable as possible and stay as often/long as possible. My mom would come anyway- she'd sleep on the floor in the kitchen if she HAD to- she wants to see her grandkids! But it would REALLY be nice if she could be comfortable. Gorgeous woodwork. Goregous wood floors. Nice, big front porch with a porch swing. The current owners have really fixed things up well. It's a beautiful house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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