Would you give your child the Master Bedroom?

[tvguy]

Fancy house??? The vast majority of homes have a master suite. Someone house hunting today would have a tough time finding a house without one.

Most homes here, including cookie cutter tract homes like mine do have a master suite, a larger bedroom with an attached bathroom.
Now, my son and DIL just bought a 1952 tract home. The master bedroom is the largest, but there is only one bathroom, and it is not connected to any of the bedrooms. But this subdivision was built to meet the demand of soldiers returning from WWII, and the housing needs of activity duty people who worked at one of the 2 Air Force Bases, and 1 Army Depot here. So at 1080 square feet, the house is small, just a one car garage, and these sold for $4,000 new, they resell now for $250,000 to $300,000, so they are entry level homes.

 

[bdcp]

My parents gave my sister and I the master bedroom in an apt we lived in when we were about 8 and 9 for a year or so before we moved. Mainly because the neighbors were a bit "boisterous" (as my mom told me after I was an adult) which my sister and I slept right through lol. That was the only time that happened. DH and I never gave up our master and never had any reason to. My best friend convinced her parents to give her the master with her own (small) bathroom when we were in HS and she had that room for several years. She was a bit spoiled, but overall she's a really wonderful person so it really didn't make any difference. Her parents had the basement with their own bathroom and her grandparents and brother shared the hall bath. Hey, it worked for them.

The homes we owned or rented when our boys were growing up, the master was all ours. Our current home, which is the largest we've owned, has a huge master suite, but our boys were adults when we moved in and off to college etc, and when they were home, there were 2 additional bathrooms upstairs so they each had their own to use then.

 

[mjkacmom]

Fancy house??? The vast majority of homes have a master suite. Someone house hunting today would have a tough time finding a house without one.

Depends on location. My town was established about 300 years ago, there is zero space for new construction. I know many people who don't even have a bathroom on the first floor (we had one put in after we bought it). Most homes with master bedrooms have had additions put on, or demolished the original structure. Considering the average yearly property tax here is $12,000, a master bathroom comes with additional costs. We have an above average lot size (60 x 110), and an addition would cut too much out of our yard.

 

[ronandannette]

Why waste the money buying some fancy house that has a "master" bedroom? In our house all of the bedrooms are the same size about 10' x 12'. The closets are all 3' x 4'. None of the bedrooms have their own bathroom.

I've not heard of or seen a home like that in recent times - did you have it custom-built?

 

[DiannaVM]

I would not unless there was a special circumstance. (In fact, when we built our house our then-three year old was insistent that the master bedroom was going to be "his room." Um, nope kid. Not yours.)

A couple of cases where I might consider it would be if I had multiple children who were sharing a room. (For instance -- a family of three boys, a girl, and the parents. In a three bedroom house, the three boys could share the master, parents would take a "regular" room, and the girl would have her own room. Another scenario where I might consider it would be if a child had special needs where the needs would require that he "needed" the extra space or en suite bedroom.

Basically all of this. It would only happen if its multiple children sharing a room and they absolutely could not fit in a regular room, or if the child is special needs. I would not even consider it for single child. DH and I have enough of a rough time with the master room we have now lol.

 

[MillauFr]

I've not heard of or seen a home like that in recent times - did you have it custom-built?

The houses on our street were built in the 1920s

 

[Magpie]

Growing up, I had the only bedroom and my mother slept on the couch in the livingroom.

My mum likes to surround herself with art and her books, and she wanted a place to put my toys (which really didn't go with her vision of what she wanted her home to look like). I got a lot of "Why is your (mild expletive) all over the house? Pick it up!" if I so much as left a stuffed animal on the couch.

So, actually, I do understand why people would say, "The kid gets the master bedroom, because she's got so many toys." They may just not want to have kid stuff all over the house.

I wasn't spoiled. I was very aware of the sacrifice my mum was making for me, in taking the couch over the bed. But I also knew she had her own reasons for wanting me to have a room I could go to (or be sent to).

Personally, I'd look for more evidence than just, "They gave the kid the master bedroom," before deciding they're spoiling their child.

 

[DaisyJ]

I've not heard of or seen a home like that in recent times - did you have it custom-built?

Most of the homes in our subdivision, all built within the last 20 years, have smaller bedrooms. Our "master" is 11x12 with a very small 3/4 attached bath. Our other two bedrooms are 10x10. Eighty percent of the houses were spec, including ours.

 

[Shanti]

I have these friends that just bought a new condo downtown so we were getting the grand tour yesterday. It's a beautiful place! They have one child, a girl who is 6-years-old and...she has the master bedroom. And it is a NICE room, huge with ensuite bathroom, beautiful lake views...my friends have taken the bedroom down the hall and it is about 1/4 the size no adjoining bathroom and only a view of the condo tower next door.

Now, this child is quite indulged and a bit on the spoiled side anyway but this shocks me. Anyone here give up the master bedroom for their child? Would you? Surprisingly this is the 2nd family I know to have done this.

(For the record when I asked her why, she said because "Precious has so many toys it made sense to give her the big room").

I don't know if I can still respect them. (lol) Thoughts?

My best friend in high school had the master bedroom in her parents' house for some reason. She wasn't spoiled- I never understood why she got the big bedroom. Maybe her parents preferred the bedroom they chose due to lighting or less noise. Maybe a similar dynamic is going on with your friends, in addition to them not wanting to trip over her toys all the time. My friend turned out just fine, so having the big bedroom didn't ruin her or anything.

Personally, I would not give a child my big bedroom, but to each his own. I'll save my disapproval for those parents who push their healthy 8 year-olds in strollers at WDW...

 

[cabanafrau]

Fancy house??? The vast majority of homes have a master suite. Someone house hunting today would have a tough time finding a house without one.

I agree, having a master suite doesn't necessarily equate to a fancy house. However, I don't believe the vast majority of homes have a master suite either, at least if the programs on HGTV are anything to go by.

 

[Colleen27]

Fancy house??? The vast majority of homes have a master suite. Someone house hunting today would have a tough time finding a house without one.

It depends on the age of the housing stock in the community you're looking to live in. The suburb I grew up in was built pretty much to capacity in the post-WWII boom. None of the homes I've been in have a master suite in that community, though I suppose there are some exceptions in houses that were rebuilt or extensively remodeled away from the cookie-cutter floor plan that makes up most of the city. Where I live now is the same, but for different reasons - a lot of the homes in my town, mine included, were built in the 1800s. Master suites weren't on anyone's radar.

If you're looking at homes built in the last 30 years or so, master suites may be standard. But they're a relatively new development in the longer view and there are still plenty of homes that don't have them.

 

[DopeyDame]

In the first house I lived in as a child, my sisters and I were in the master bedroom. But that was because all three of us shared a bedroom and my parents were in the smaller one. (There was also only one bathroom in the whole house. So glad we moved before there were three teenaged girls and two parents sharing one bathroom!)
Once we moved and we all had our own rooms, my parents got the master bedroom that included their own bathroom.

I can *almost* see the reasoning of the initial family if all of the child's stuff was confined to the one bedroom. Maybe the parents want their house to look pristine so they confine all child-like stuff to the one room. In our house, the kids are in tiny rooms, but they've taken over what would normally be the dining room as the playroom.

 

[NFLDERS]

Got it!

From my previous post:. Re-name "Master Suite"

Too Suite
Two Suite

AND, if you're like me in Canada than, in French & English. Fwiw, the french language sounds so much more... Sexy!

 

[kamik86]

My parents had the biggest bedroom when I was a kid, however they hadn't until I was born, there were 3 bedrooms upstairs and one down, my parents had the downstairs one. My older two sisters shared the biggest and the youngest had the next. The tiny one was a playroom.

After I was born they took the big bedroom when they wanted my crib in their room, gave the one downstairs to the oldest and the middle sister got the old play room.

My DH had the biggest bedroom his house too, he spent most of his time there and had his game systems and TV there as a teen, his mom (single mom) spent most of her time in the living room. So she thought it was fair she got two rooms and he got the big one.

 

[Poohforyou]

It depends on the age of the housing stock in the community you're looking to live in. The suburb I grew up in was built pretty much to capacity in the post-WWII boom. None of the homes I've been in have a master suite in that community, though I suppose there are some exceptions in houses that were rebuilt or extensively remodeled away from the cookie-cutter floor plan that makes up most of the city. Where I live now is the same, but for different reasons - a lot of the homes in my town, mine included, were built in the 1800s. Master suites weren't on anyone's radar.

If you're looking at homes built in the last 30 years or so, master suites may be standard. But they're a relatively new development in the longer view and there are still plenty of homes that don't have them.

A master suite can mean anywhere from a large bedroom with its own bathroom to what we have in our house which is a large bedroom with large spa bathroom and sitting room.

The neighborhood I grew up in a master bedroom with bath was standard. The houses were built in the late 1950s to early 1960s.

Obviously, homes close to or greater than 100 years old wouldn't likely have this but those aren't the majority of homes on the market.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I have these friends that just bought a new condo downtown so we were getting the grand tour yesterday. It's a beautiful place! They have one child, a girl who is 6-years-old and...she has the master bedroom. And it is a NICE room, huge with ensuite bathroom, beautiful lake views...my friends have taken the bedroom down the hall and it is about 1/4 the size no adjoining bathroom and only a view of the condo tower next door.

Now, this child is quite indulged and a bit on the spoiled side anyway but this shocks me. Anyone here give up the master bedroom for their child? Would you? Surprisingly this is the 2nd family I know to have done this.

(For the record when I asked her why, she said because "Precious has so many toys it made sense to give her the big room").

I don't know if I can still respect them. (lol) Thoughts?

I didn't...but I almost wish we had. We spend almost no time in our room during the day, while DS spends way more in his, and also has friends over there. (And I certainly don't want the video games taking over my kitchen/family room!) Neither bedroom has a separate bathroom, and the closets are the exact same size. Looking back, it probably would have made more sense to put him in the bigger space.

 

[DaisyJ]

A master suite can mean anywhere from a large bedroom with its own bathroom to what we have in our house which is a large bedroom with large spa bathroom and sitting room.

The neighborhood I grew up in a master bedroom with bath was standard. The houses were built in the late 1950s to early 1960s.

Obviously, homes close to or greater than 100 years old wouldn't likely have this but those aren't the majority of homes on the market.

You forgot to add "in my area". Don't assume every region is the same as yours when it comes to homes.

 

[mamacatnv]

I often contemplated the idea when the kids were younger as typical "track" homes had these 10x10ish additional rooms but massive master suites. I sleep in my room, I don't host sleepovers or have a large doll house. Honestly, I wish the masters overall were smaller and the additional bedrooms larger. I love Jack/Jill bathrooms but again, they seem to be rare in track homes unless on the higher end.

When DD was 10 and her brother went to college, I really contemplated giving her the master for several reasons - she had a lot of stuff, her friends were always staying over and when we wanted to give her a larger than a twin bed, there really was no room. Ultimately we did not move her around because I was too lazy but it did cross my mind.

We ended up moving when DD was in 7th grade. Our home now has 4 bedrooms of varying size. The master is not massive and DD's room which is only slightly smaller without attached bathroom easily accommodates a queen size bed along with dressers/shelves and assorted teenage stuff including a couple of funky chairs and a mini fridge.

Our home is not huge, 1725 sq ft but the footprint was IMO well thought out for a family of 3-4. Room #3 is a TV/Lounge room, DD and her posse often hang out in this room as it is wall to wall couch with TV/gaming systems. It can barely accommodate the aerobed when DS and his girlfriend visit but it works.
Room#4 is small........really small and attached via a double door to the master - I believe it was intended as a nursery, we use it as a den or currently the new kittens room.
The master and weird small room are on one side of the house, the other two rooms along with the second bath are on the opposite side - I really like the layout - we NEVER hear DD even when there is a house full of teens.

 

[lovesmurfs]

Hell no, under any circumstance.

This was my first thought. I guess I could see if it was a situation with a disability, but not for any other.

 

[aprilgail]

Why waste the money buying some fancy house that has a "master" bedroom? In our house all of the bedrooms are the same size about 10' x 12'. The closets are all 3' x 4'. None of the bedrooms have their own bathroom.

That is how all the houses in my area are- there are no "master bedrooms" and especially none with their own bathrooms unless they did a whole house renovation and changed all the floorplans. In fact my bedroom doesn't even have a closet! Years ago they removed the closet to make a door out to the backyard. The two original bedrooms are 10X10- the small one is 8x8- my daughters that we added on is about 22X12. All the houses in the area had one bathroom- some have added on bathrooms but I would say the majority have not.