Is having a tween/teen hang out space worth it?

[Anonymous]

We are trying to renovate our house. We have four kids -- ages 2 to 12. We have a small playroom on the first floor adjacent to the kitchen. Is it worth it to carve out a private hang out spot for older kids on the third floor? Do kids use spots like this? My concern is that if we make a room with a couch and TV for them either -1- they will never use it or -2- they will always be up there and we will never see them again. But then there is concern -3- : that we will not have such a space and in high school they will want to hang out with other people's houses, that have finished basements, etc. This is my vague memory of high school.
The alternative for this space is not to open up a wall and leave it as a dark but private guest room.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are trying to renovate our house. We have four kids -- ages 2 to 12. We have a small playroom on the first floor adjacent to the kitchen. Is it worth it to carve out a private hang out spot for older kids on the third floor? Do kids use spots like this? My concern is that if we make a room with a couch and TV for them either -1- they will never use it or -2- they will always be up there and we will never see them again. But then there is concern -3- : that we will not have such a space and in high school they will want to hang out with other people's houses, that have finished basements, etc. This is my vague memory of high school.
The alternative for this space is not to open up a wall and leave it as a dark but private guest room.

Make a space for the teens.

[Anonymous]

We have one but they never use it because it is not private enough. If we had a basement they would.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are trying to renovate our house. We have four kids -- ages 2 to 12. We have a small playroom on the first floor adjacent to the kitchen. Is it worth it to carve out a private hang out spot for older kids on the third floor? Do kids use spots like this? My concern is that if we make a room with a couch and TV for them either -1- they will never use it or -2- they will always be up there and we will never see them again. But then there is concern -3- : that we will not have such a space and in high school they will want to hang out with other people's houses, that have finished basements, etc. This is my vague memory of high school.
The alternative for this space is not to open up a wall and leave it as a dark but private guest room.

Make a space for the teens.

+1

[Anonymous]

Make the space. One kid uses it. The other would always rather be at someone else’s house. You won’t know until they get older.

[Anonymous]

^ but what are you having in the room and how private? We have the basement and there is a rec room with a tv and workout room. They rarely use the tv but lay on the furniture on their phones (the girls) and have sleepover there. But my son and daughter use the weights and work out room. My son rarely has friends over but that’s where they go when they do come over.

[Anonymous]

With such a big age range, 2-12, I would think your older kids would want a space on the third floor.

[Anonymous]

teens want privacy, if the space isn’t private i’m not sure it will be used by the teens as much as you’d like

[Anonymous]

The trick is that is should be private, e.g. away from the main living areas of the house, but no door, so that they don't expect to be completely uninterrupted. So, basement or open landings or loft areas with no doors are good spaces to give them. If you are renovating to create a space, make the opening an archway instead of a doorway.

[Anonymous]

I don’t think it will ever get used on the third floor. Too much exposure to parents/the other kids on the way up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are trying to renovate our house. We have four kids -- ages 2 to 12. We have a small playroom on the first floor adjacent to the kitchen. Is it worth it to carve out a private hang out spot for older kids on the third floor? Do kids use spots like this? My concern is that if we make a room with a couch and TV for them either -1- they will never use it or -2- they will always be up there and we will never see them again. But then there is concern -3- : that we will not have such a space and in high school they will want to hang out with other people's houses, that have finished basements, etc. This is my vague memory of high school.
The alternative for this space is not to open up a wall and leave it as a dark but private guest room.

Make a space for the teens.

+1

+1 more

You really want them to hang at your house when they’re teens

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have one but they never use it because it is not private enough. If we had a basement they would.

Ours is in the basement and gets tons of use. We’re the go to house for kids to hang out. We have exercise equipment, a tv/gaming space and a ping pong table. I also have an art studio so I have tons of reasons to go in and out. And the way ours is situated, I can hear everything from a certain spot in my living room, so I made that spot into a reading space.

[Anonymous]

Ours is in the baseball as well - X box, sectional, giant TV, ping pong and a few other games. We have a basement refrigerator that I try to keep stocked with Gatorade, Sprite, etc.

Yes, definitely create a semi-private space for your tweens and their friends

[Anonymous]

Anyone I know with a third floor space, it doesn't get used. It's very noisy for anyone trying to sleep on the second floor and when they are younger, it's too far away from the main action of the first floor.

We have a basement hang out space and it does get used quite a bit by my teen and his friends.

[Anonymous]

With four kids, either give them their own bedrooms, or do that space. Kids need a place of their own.