Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Am I the only one the cringes at the idea of adults putting lots of thought and money into making their house a hangout spot for teens?

Not if you have the money and space but usually it's more about the parents than the kids. Usually they do it so the kids cannot be seen or heard.

Or it might be because the parent wants to keep their kid close and under their watch. That can backfire because they will gravitate elsewhere if you are hovering or weird.

Good parents supervise what goes on.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Am I the only one the cringes at the idea of adults putting lots of thought and money into making their house a hangout spot for teens?

Not if you have the money and space but usually it's more about the parents than the kids. Usually they do it so the kids cannot be seen or heard.

Or it might be because the parent wants to keep their kid close and under their watch. That can backfire because they will gravitate elsewhere if you are hovering or weird.

Anonymous wrote:Am I the only one the cringes at the idea of adults putting lots of thought and money into making their house a hangout spot for teens?

Not if you have the money and space but usually it's more about the parents than the kids. Usually they do it so the kids cannot be seen or heard.

Am I the only one the cringes at the idea of adults putting lots of thought and money into making their house a hangout spot for teens?

Anonymous wrote:It’s not the house, it’s how welcoming you are. Food, games, etc

This.

Anonymous wrote:I know it's not the most important factor, but surely the physical space matters at least a little? Is there a room size that"s too small to be workable?

Nope. My son's room is 9x10, and he's had 6 or 7 guys crammed in there having a blast. There are other places in the house they could hand out, but his room has a very college dormroom feel to it, loft and all. So they seem to like it.

It needn’t be any bigger than the phone in their hand.

Anonymous wrote:They just want somewhere unsupervised.

This. Call it welcoming if you will. They want privacy and not to see adults.

Food helps. Gaming system a must. Can really be any size if it fits a couch and screen.

They just want somewhere unsupervised.

My husband and his friends hung out in a glorified crawl space when they were in high school. Dirt floor, low ceiling, about 100 sq. ft, etc…. but it was private and their own.

For boys you need just need snacks, a tv, and a good video game system. If you can hang two tvs, even better.

Ours is about 15 x 20, but being welcoming and accepting is more important.

I know it's not the most important factor, but surely the physical space matters at least a little? Is there a room size that"s too small to be workable?

It’s not the house, it’s how welcoming you are. Food, games, etc

How many square feet would you say a room needs if you're hoping it will be a desirable "hangout space" for teens so your kid and their friends spend a fair amount of their time at your house?