Is a 12x10 ft bedroom too small or normal?

[Anonymous]

If your kids can't get their homework done without help/supervision, and it's not because they have LDs, there's a problem with the homework.

Not necessarily. I have a kid who is very social. He just likes to be around people and not in his room. He talks to me from time to time while doing his work in the kitchen. He has always been this way. He didn't want to sleep in his room even in grade school (embarrassing, but he slept in our room). Even at college he can have his own room, but prefers not to do that. He wants to be in the more social and common areas. It can be a problem, but it's just who he is. I was not like him AT ALL, but I respect his needs. He has a very outgoing personality.

[Anonymous]

Too small. You will regret it.

[Anonymous]

11:49, that's what your son prefers, and more power to him (assuming his roommate doesn't run away screaming "Shut up shut up SHUT UUUUUUP), but he CAN do his homework without supervision, right?

He seems like a great candidate for a small bedroom, because he's never going to be in there anyway. (I spawned one like that, too. My DH is always wondering about why his brother spends hours reading alone in his room, and I'm thinking, "If I weren't the mommy, I'd be reading alone in my room, too.")

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a very common size in older homes in and around DC, but small in a new build. I have to ask, OP, since you are doing a new build why don't you tell the architect to make the kids rooms the same size? Or are you working from a standard plan?

We are working with some limitations imposed by our site and overall footprint.. This room is on the first floor; two more kid's bedrooms plus a master suite are on the second floor. To make this room larger would require rejigging of the first floor and it's too much work at this point. I definitely cannot make it the same size as the second-floor rooms.

Having the youngest child's bedroom downstairs (while they are preschool age) and everyone else upstairs would be more concerning to me than the room size.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Too small. You will regret it.

Really? Both my teens have had rooms that size their whole lives, and it's been fine. My sister and I shared a room that size until we moved out. Our 3 other sisters shared a room that wasn't much bigger. Sometimes we wanted to kill each other, but I don't think that had much to do with our bedroom footage!

Until I started reading DCUM, I never realized how deprived I am.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Too small. You will regret it.

Really? Both my teens have had rooms that size their whole lives, and it's been fine. My sister and I shared a room that size until we moved out. Our 3 other sisters shared a room that wasn't much bigger. Sometimes we wanted to kill each other, but I don't think that had much to do with our bedroom footage!

Until I started reading DCUM, I never realized how deprived I am.

You are only deprived if you are over 6ft tall. Really 2 teen girls can be the size of two toddler boys.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a very common size in older homes in and around DC, but small in a new build. I have to ask, OP, since you are doing a new build why don't you tell the architect to make the kids rooms the same size? Or are you working from a standard plan?

We are working with some limitations imposed by our site and overall footprint.. This room is on the first floor; two more kid's bedrooms plus a master suite are on the second floor. To make this room larger would require rejigging of the first floor and it's too much work at this point. I definitely cannot make it the same size as the second-floor rooms.

I think the bigger problem here is putting your youngest child on a separate floor. The oldest would make more sense even with a smaller room. Especially if you could make the adjoining common space more tailored to him/her. I assume that this bedroom will have its own bath? That could be customized too. It gives the older child a sense of importance and responsibility.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a very common size in older homes in and around DC, but small in a new build. I have to ask, OP, since you are doing a new build why don't you tell the architect to make the kids rooms the same size? Or are you working from a standard plan?

We are working with some limitations imposed by our site and overall footprint.. This room is on the first floor; two more kid's bedrooms plus a master suite are on the second floor. To make this room larger would require rejigging of the first floor and it's too much work at this point. I definitely cannot make it the same size as the second-floor rooms.

I think the bigger problem here is putting your youngest child on a separate floor. The oldest would make more sense even with a smaller room. Especially if you could make the adjoining common space more tailored to him/her. I assume that this bedroom will have its own bath? That could be customized too. It gives the older child a sense of importance and responsibility.

We have master suites on both floors. So for the next few years we will be in the first floor master and the baby in the small room next to the master. The two upstairs bedrooms will be occupied by the older child and his grandmother. So the youngest child won't be alone downstairs.

[Anonymous]

That plan makes no sense. Everyone on the same floor or at least the kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That plan makes no sense. Everyone on the same floor or at least the kids.

My mom needs to be upstairs so she must have the upstairs bedroom. Our children cannot share a room. So for the time being this is how it has to be. When she leaves, we'll all move upstairs. Our oldest is five so he doesn't need constant supervision, but we need to be close to the baby (but not in the same room with her).

[Anonymous]

What is so magical about being upstairs? That seems worse for someone elderly. And if your kids are that little room size matters zero. You're talking about whether a baby will notice their room is small.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a very common size in older homes in and around DC, but small in a new build. I have to ask, OP, since you are doing a new build why don't you tell the architect to make the kids rooms the same size? Or are you working from a standard plan?

We are working with some limitations imposed by our site and overall footprint.. This room is on the first floor; two more kid's bedrooms plus a master suite are on the second floor. To make this room larger would require rejigging of the first floor and it's too much work at this point. I definitely cannot make it the same size as the second-floor rooms.

I think the bigger problem here is putting your youngest child on a separate floor. The oldest would make more sense even with a smaller room. Especially if you could make the adjoining common space more tailored to him/her. I assume that this bedroom will have its own bath? That could be customized too. It gives the older child a sense of importance and responsibility.

We have master suites on both floors. So for the next few years we will be in the first floor master and the baby in the small room next to the master. The two upstairs bedrooms will be occupied by the older child and his grandmother. So the youngest child won't be alone downstairs.

Are there 2 or 3 bedrooms upstairs? Early on you mentioned older children and a baby. Why can't your children, who are apparently all 5 and younger share a room upstairs and you take the upstairs master. It all sounds odd.

[Anonymous]

People are being so particular! OP, your plan sounds perfectly fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a very common size in older homes in and around DC, but small in a new build. I have to ask, OP, since you are doing a new build why don't you tell the architect to make the kids rooms the same size? Or are you working from a standard plan?

We are working with some limitations imposed by our site and overall footprint.. This room is on the first floor; two more kid's bedrooms plus a master suite are on the second floor. To make this room larger would require rejigging of the first floor and it's too much work at this point. I definitely cannot make it the same size as the second-floor rooms.

I think the bigger problem here is putting your youngest child on a separate floor. The oldest would make more sense even with a smaller room. Especially if you could make the adjoining common space more tailored to him/her. I assume that this bedroom will have its own bath? That could be customized too. It gives the older child a sense of importance and responsibility.

We have master suites on both floors. So for the next few years we will be in the first floor master and the baby in the small room next to the master. The two upstairs bedrooms will be occupied by the older child and his grandmother. So the youngest child won't be alone downstairs.

Are there 2 or 3 bedrooms upstairs? Early on you mentioned older children and a baby. Why can't your children, who are apparently all 5 and younger share a room upstairs and you take the upstairs master. It all sounds odd.

I have a five-year old boy and an infant baby girl. I don't want to put them in one room and it's not like we have to.

[Anonymous]

OP, it sounds as though you're going to do this no matter what anyone says, so why ask? Seriously. It's a house for your family. If you don't actually have any options, don't make yourself nuts seeking external validation. Do what you have to do.