What are you doing with S's/D's room when they leave?

HisGraceFillsMe · 07-09-2008, 06:57 PM

I'm ultra-cleaning my room right now (including cleaning out my closet for the first time EVER!) in preparation for leaving this fall. My parents are going to get a smaller desk than the one I currently have and use my bedroom for a guest room.

What are you planning on doing with your S's/D's room?

Zamzam · 07-09-2008, 07:05 PM

My mom already calls my room "the office" and my brother's room "the guest room." Not like I'm devastated: I'm not exactly planning on staying here except maybe during Christmas breaks.

3bm103 · 07-09-2008, 07:27 PM

When oldest left we gave his room to youngest because it was the biggest one. Seemed silly to keep it empty while youngest used the little room. When oldest came back he used that room instead. As they left with less and less chance of coming back, we cleaned the rooms, decorated and made them spare rooms.

somemom · 07-09-2008, 07:30 PM

One of my Ds was very offended when we moved after her first year away at university and there was no room for her; she is only home a few days a year, but she wants a place to keep all her stuff other than the attic or basement.

Luckily D1 moved out so D2 has a "room" which is also an office, but she can keep her stuff in the closet. Funny how sad/hurt/confused/offended she was when she really is rarely here.

Meridiem · 07-09-2008, 07:55 PM

Well, I've share a room with my sister all of my life.
There isn't anywhere else in my house to store anything of mine, so my sister (going into her senior year of hs) gets to share a room with all of the things I leave behind. What I'll leave probably isn't too much, though. Just my bed and my bookcase, basically, along with miscellaneous items that I can't take with me.

After she graduates, though, what happens to that room is anyone's guess!

VeryHappy · 07-09-2008, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Not like I'm devastated: I'm not exactly planning on staying here except maybe during Christmas breaks.

Well geez, no wonder we cry when we leave them at school freshman year . . .

oldfort · 07-09-2008, 08:08 PM

We turned it into a shrine. I went into her room whenever I missed her.

latetoschool · 07-09-2008, 08:10 PM

Our cat wouldn't dare let me do anything different with my daughter's room.

soozievt · 07-09-2008, 08:21 PM

I have two daughters ages 19 and 21 and their rooms are exactly as they left them and have not been touched. They rarely come home but if they do, those are still their bedrooms. Not sure when or if this will change but maybe when they settle some place permanently or are married....I haven't thought about it honestly.

Oldfort, sometimes I go in their rooms and look at it all too.

woohoo!!!!!! · 07-09-2008, 08:29 PM

somemom--

i feel the exact same way as your D. When my parents got divorced after freshman year, I made my father promise he wouldn't sell my/his/my brother's home until i graduated. Now, he's in the process of finding a new house. It's incredibly difficult for me. Don't really know why because I'm not planning on being home that much either. but i'm not looking forward walking down the steps from my room to the first floor for the last time at all.

as for my room? i'm going to do a MAJOR clean and put everything i want to keep in boxes.

justhismom · 07-09-2008, 08:36 PM

First I clean his room, then when I start to miss him I go in there and admire the clutter free floor and bathroom. Seriously, other than that initial cleaning, we don't do anything to his room except close the room vents. He knows that his room will always be his while we are still in our current home.

bethievt · 07-09-2008, 08:43 PM

Shrine here. I love to go into his room and soak up his essence. He's home now and I LOVE IT!!

justhismom · 07-09-2008, 08:46 PM

I like having S home too, but it will sure be nice to see his carpet and bathroom flooring again. He still has not unpacked from May. Now with him returning next month, I guess to him it makes no sense to do it now.
Just pick everything off the floor and put it in the bins.

roshke · 07-09-2008, 08:56 PM

Their rooms will be their rooms for as long as we are in the house - fortunately we have the space. Actually, we just got back from D's pre-college orientation where there were separate activities and lectures for the parents and the incoming freshmen students. One of the topics discussed was "Letting Go" and the advice to parents was that one should not make any changes to the S or D's room right away.

lunitari · 07-09-2008, 09:15 PM

The first year my eldest is in college, I probably won't do much except take over the desk in her room as my writing space. She'll be home for holidays and the summer, most likely.

The next year, when both kids are in college, my husband and I plan to sell the house to build our "forever house" in the country. We plan to have either a guest cottage or a little apartment above the garage for the kids, though--something that could also be living space for an aging parent later on.