Bedroom in our home will be free soon....what to do with it? Several options.

[ChristusG]

My 18 year old nephew (who has lived with us for the past few years) is going into the military and will be leaving within the next few months. This will free up a bedroom in our home. We have a three bedroom home and three girls (ages 10, 7, and 2). Currently DH and I have the master bedroom and the 2 year old sleeps with us. This is fine as we always have our babies sleep with us for 3-4 years. So she'll be in there with us for another year or two. Our 10 and 7 year old share a large bedroom (it's actually two bedrooms but the original owner had the builders make one large room instead of two smaller ones like the house plan called for). The smallest room is currently had by my nephew, which is the room that will become available. I've thought of three options.....

 

1. Give it to the 2 year old. Though I wouldn't have her sleep nights in there, she could nap in there, as well as keep her clothing and toys in there. Right now she naps in the playpen in our bedroom and her clothes are in my closet. Her toys are divided between the sunroom and the big girls room. Giving her the room would free up my closet space, give extra space in the sunroom and big girls room (because the 2 year olds toys would be gone) and free up room in our bedroom because we could move the playpen into the 2 year olds room. She would also have a place to play without me worrying about what she is destroying.

 

 

2. Give it to the 10 year old. I could move the 10 year olds bed, clothing, shelf, and special toys/belongings into the room. Any shared toys would stay in the big bedroom. This would give my 10 year old a place of her own, allow her a quiet space to do her schoolwork (we'd get her a desk), and an easier bedtime routine. I currently DESPISE bedtime....it's such a fight and a hassle. Currently when we put the 7 and 10 year old to bed, they continue to talk or play, which usually ends in late night fighting and arguing (her reading light is too bright, I can't go to sleep.....she's turning the pages too loudly....she's talking and I don't want to). I never get my "me time" at night because kids are keeping each other awake. Having them go to sleep in separate rooms would end that. However, we also may go through the "I'm scared to sleep alone in the room" stuff. They've never slept alone....ever. The con is that the 2 year olds stuff will still be all other the house. She'll still need to go into the big bedroom to access some of her toys, which gives her ample opportunity to destroy the 7 year olds creations (scribbling in coloring books, knocking over doll house set-ups, taking apart Lego creations). This would keep the 2 year old stuff in our room, and she'd continue to nap in there as well. When old enough, she'd move into the big bedroom with the 7 year old to sleep. We'd also likely move the dog into the 10 year olds room. He currently sleeps in his kennel in the living room. We'd move his kennel to the 10 year olds room so she would help more with him and eventually learn to sleep out of his crate (when older and can be trusted not to use the bathroom or chew things up).

 

 

3. Make it a playroom. Put all toys in there for all kids. The only things in the bedroom would be a bed for each girl, a shelf for each girl (they could keep their own special belonging on this), and their clothing. When the 2 year old was old enough, she'd sleep in there as well. Three girls in one large bedroom.

 

 

I'm leaning towards option 1 or 2. I don't know which is a bigger benefit.....giving the 10 or the 2 year old their own room.

 

10 year old = bedtime is easier, plus a quiet place for schoolwork

2 year old = naptime is easier, plus all of her stuff is moved into her room and out of other areas of the house

 

What would The Hive choose????

[Annie G]

I'd give the 10 year old her own room.  If you stay in that house, every kid will have a chance to have that room- as one moves out the next one can move into that room.   The 10 year old will want more privacy soon and she'll need a study spot sooner.    In our house there is one bedroom that our kids loved- and they all had a turn in it.  

 

It doesn't really solve the problem of your two year old but if she's going to sleep with you for another year or two, you have time. You could move her clothes into the 7 year old's bedroom and try to find a place for her toys. Or  maybe it's time for the 7 year old to start working on keeping things she values out of the little one's reach. If she works on that while you work on teaching the 2 year old not to touch things that aren't hers, they should be ready to share a room in a year or two. 

[gingersmom]

Definitely the 10 year old. She is getting close to the teen years where she is going to want privacy from her siblings.

[Indian summer]

I'd put the 10y/o in the small room and have the middle and youngest children share. Your baby can still sleep with you at night, but have a bed in the shared room for nap time.

[happi duck]

I'd put the girls together. Often the oldest gets her own room and then no one else ever does.

[AK_Mom4]

I would probably make it into a guest bedroom for now since you don't already have one.  Sure, move the 2yo's playpen and toys in there to make use of the space, but keep a regular bed in the room.

 

It has been my experience that having a spare bedroom for military kids on leave (and other guests, of course) is a very nice thing and helps them feel part of your family.

[Cera]

I would put the 2 year old in the smaller room and find a solution to allow the 10 and 7 year olds to share.  Bunk beds with curtains worked well for us when we had two with that age span sharing a room.  If you don't want to do bunks bed tents are also great to separate kids at bedtime and give them their own space.  

 

Another option would be to make the small room the 2 year olds and put a bed in there rather than the playpen (she should be fine in a bed if the room is toddler proofed).  If the olders are fighting at bedtime one could sleep in the bed in the 2 year olds room.  

[momto10blessings]

I would put the 2 year old in the smaller room and find a solution to allow the 10 and 7 year olds to share. Bunk beds with curtains worked well for us when we had two with that age span sharing a room. If you don't want to do bunks bed tents are also great to separate kids at bedtime and give them their own space.

 

Another option would be to make the small room the 2 year olds and put a bed in there rather than the playpen (she should be fine in a bed if the room is toddler proofed). If the olders are fighting at bedtime one could sleep in the bed in the 2 year olds room.

I agree with this. My 10 and 7 year olds keep their door shut so that the 2 yr old doesn't destroy their belongings...

[zoobie]

Throw up a wall, add a door, and make the large BR into 2?

[prairiewindmomma]

Give it to the 2 yo. I have a toddler and the amount of babyproofing the older kids have to do is overwhelming. Also, as someone who cosleeps, my dh is ready for toddler to move on. Make your bedroom a grown-up sanctuary!

[Aurelia]

I'd let the 10 year old have it, and slowly transition the 2 year old's stuff to the larger bedroom with the 7 year old. I like the suggestion of moving the 2 year old's clothing to the big bedroom, to give you more closet space. 

[ChristusG]

Thanks for all the ideas everyone. Lots to think about! I do think I'm leaning towards giving it to the 2 year old. DD10 isn't at the point where she's concerned about her privacy yet. And DD10 and 7 play together all the time. It's bedtime that's the big issue. I'm thinking that I'll move the 2 year old in....and in a few years when DD10 is becoming a teen and DD2 is old enough not to destroy things, I can move DD10 into her own room and DD2 in with my middle DD.

 

At least that's how I'm leaning now. I have a few months to think about it. Right now the room has gray walls and I'm thinking that if I add a lot of pink, it will look really nice with the gray.