Would you give your child the Master Bedroom?

[VandVsmama]

I encountered a family once with an only child. They were looking to relocated to a different part of town and spent over a year looking at different homes. They had a very hard time finding just the right house because they insisted that their only child have a master bedroom as well. Therefore, they just HAD to have a home with 2 master bedroom suites (i.e., with attached bathroom). The special snowflake child also has a TV in the special snowflake bedroom. When they moved in, Special Snowflake was 8.

Our house is a 3 bedroom and our 2 kids share a bedroom. No special snowflakes under our roof.

 

[scrapquitler]

I might. We actually considered doing this for a while because the fact is that we adults only spend time in our bedroom when we are going to bed, we don't hang out in there at all during the day or in the evening. The kids on the other hand spend most of their time in their rooms. If the bigger bedroom is sitting empty and unused all day, and the smaller one is actually being used most hours of the day, it doesn't seem unreasonable to me to have the one being used occupied by someone who will be in there.

Giving the kid the bigger bedroom might be an effective way to keep all of her crap out of the rest of the house. And I certainly wouldn't judge my friends based on this. Would you judge them on how often they used a formal dining room, or by if they park their car in the garage vs. the driveway? How they use their own house is up to them.

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

If I had to put multiple children in one bedroom, then yes.

For toys, no. I like my private bath, and walk in closet, thanks.

 

[Magpie]

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.

Same here. House built in 1920s, finished basement added in the 2000's. Bedrooms all roughly the same size, two downstairs, two upstairs, each pair flanks a bathroom. No private baths or walk in closets. A fairly standard arrangement for detached single family homes around my neighbourhood. Family bedroom assignment has nothing to do with size, just convenience and preference.

Our bedroom has the smaller closet, and less floor space, being in an older part of the house, but better air circulation and a much nicer view.

It can be quite different, though, in the suburbs. The newer "monster" homes do tend to have individual bathrooms attached to each bedroom. My daughter has a coworker who insists she couldn't live anywhere she'd ever have to share a bathroom. It's apparently her primary reason for not moving out of her parents' suburban home and into a place with roommates. She was even uncomfortable when they booked a conference hotel room together and had to share a bathroom! My daughter (having grown up sharing a bathroom, first with us, and then with her brother), thinks it's all a bit eccentric.

 

[mummabear]

I had the master bedroom for a short time, we moved to a house on the beach that was just 2 bedroom for the 4 of us, when we first moved in my brother had the ti y bedroom that could just fit a single bed and space next to it for drawers (never could have fit a double bed), I had the master bedroom and my parents had a fold out couch in the sunroom.
My dad then built (no memory of how long before this was built) a bedroom out of half the garage (proper lifted floor, walls etc) and I moved in there.
Eventually hey built a granny flat in the back, my brother moved in there, I got his closet and the garage became a garage again. When DB joined the army at 18 I got he granny flat.

 

[IDoDis]

Nope, wouldn't do it. Many kids are way too over-indulged these days. When I was a child I shared a bedroom with my brother and sister. We had one bunk bed and one twin bed in the room. Each week we'd rotate beds because no one wanted the top bunk forever. The bunk beds were leftovers from the army that my mom bought. She spray-painted them white with her Kirby vacuum. Last year when we bought the house we are in now, two boys were sharing one of the bedrooms with a bunk bed in it. It is the smallest room in the house. Meanwhile the only girl had a much larger room all to herself. I would have put the boys in the larger room at least, but I see no problem having kids in a smaller room. It might motivate them to do well in school so they can live better later on.

 

[LilyWDW]

The only way it would even cross my mind was in a medical situation where the extra room was NEEDED for the child and medical equipment or if the attached bath would make it easier to care for said child.

Otherwise, the kids can have the master bedroom when they are the ones paying for the house.

Not that I will ever have to deal with this situation.

 

[North of Mouse]

Never!

Little snowflakes can take one of the other bedrooms!!

 

[North of Mouse]

No never. But my husband has too many toys.

That's why my dh has his man cave!! I seldom go upstairs except to remake the guest rooms after guests leave. The bonus room is all dh's.

 

[aristocatz]

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 initial reaction was no, I would not give a child the master bedroom......but then I just heard a yelp down the hallway from my DH who just tripped over a bunch of toys that my 2 year old & 4 year old have impressively dumped across two rooms in a matter of a few minutes & changed my tune. I might consider giving the kids a master bedroom, if I could transform it into a bedroom/playroom & keep the toys contained to one area and can control of my living room again!!

 

[mjkacmom]

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.

What I find hysterical about my house (similar to lots of homes here, built by a developer around 1900), is that there are one or two bedrooms in the attic, and a staircase that divides on a landing between the second and first floors (almost all have been converted to a closet on one side, and a spot for the fridge in the kitchen), for the maids quarters. There was a door between the kitchen and the living room, and a butlers pantry (which is now a bathroom, door has been removed). My house is 1800 square feet! I think the biggest bedroom is 10 x 12, the smallest 6 x 8? Virtually no closet space, but a huge wrap around porch.