Skip to Content

How To Use Your Child’s Room When They Live At School

Sending your child off to college can be a whirlwind of emotions. You may feel excited for the new chapter they are about to begin.

You might also feel nervous about them leaving your home and venturing out independently. 

Along with emotions come plenty of decisions about your child now that they live away from home. You will have to consider auto insurance for a student away from home.

Can you keep them on your plan? The short answer is yes, students living at college can — and most likely should — stay on your insurance plan.

Another huge consideration to make while your child is at college is what to do with their childhood bedroom.

This can be a complex and sometimes guilt-inducing thought. You don’t want to leave your child without a bed to come home to, but you also don’t want to let an entire room in your home sit unused. 

Finding a balance between utilizing your child’s room and not wholly removing their living space can be difficult.

However, there are some unique ways you can make the most out of your college student’s bedroom while they are gone. 

How To Use Your Child's Room When They Live At School

Discussing a Room Change With Your Child

Before diving into a room renovation, you should first speak to your child and gauge their feelings about the process.

Some children may not feel strong ties to their childhood room, while others may hold a deep connection.

Begin by explaining why you want to renovate their room and utilize the space. This conversation can help them feel less hurt and confused by your actions.

Be sure to reinforce the idea that your child will never be left without a place to stay — their space just may look different when they return.

Talking it out can also give you a good idea of where to go with your room changes.

If your child doesn’t seem particularly invested in what you do with their space, you have the opportunity to create an entirely new room. If your child is more nostalgic for their bedroom, perhaps start with less drastic alterations. 

Use Multipurpose Pieces in Your Child’s Room

Finding pieces that can double their function are a great way to create a new use for your child’s room without taking away their personal space.

There are countless options available for multipurpose furniture that can allow you to completely reinvent the room while still allowing it to function as a bedroom. 

Multipurpose items such as Murphy beds, foldable desks, and convertible couches can help you create an office or entertainment space that you can easily alter to become a bedroom again for your child.

These furniture pieces are specifically designed to serve multiple functions, making them perfect for a dual-purpose room. 

Murphy beds are easily stored away when not used, opening up the room to create more space. Some models may contain storage on either side of the bed frame for extra function. 

Desks can be large and bulky. Foldable desks, however, allow you to use them when needed and fold them away while not in use. They are perfect for a room doubling as a bedroom and home office. 

Convertible couches can easily be turned into beds, making them great for an entertainment space you can use as a bedroom.

While your child is away, enjoy movies or sports games on your couch. When they arrive home, simply convert the sofa into a bed for them to use.

By choosing multipurpose furniture, your space can quickly and easily be turned back into a bedroom upon your college student’s arrival home.

You won’t have to move items in or out with these pieces. You can simply tuck them away or pull them out to create a comfortable room for your child. 

How To Use Your Child's Room When They Live At School

Reinvent Your Child’s Room Into a Guest Room

Another excellent way to use your child’s room while they are away is to give it a little makeover. It’s likely your child has created a unique and expressive room of who they are. However, this may not be an ideal space to invite guests to stay. 

Reinventing your college student’s childhood room into a simple and elegant guest room can allow you to use the space to its fullest potential without removing a room for your child to come home to. 

This option doesn’t have to cost much, either. You can repurpose the furniture already sitting in your child’s room to give it new life.

A fresh set of neutral sheets, some paint on the walls, and simplistic decor can take a teenager’s room and turn it into a timeless guest room. 

If cost isn’t a factor, you can take the opportunity to go all out and renovate the space completely.

You could add new flooring and purchase a new bedroom set to make the room feel refreshed and reinvented. Remodels that improve the value of your home can also decrease your home insurance rates, so be sure to look into finding or comparing a new policy.

With this option, you aren’t removing a bedroom from your home. Your child will still have their room to come back to, just with a more modern theme. 

Create a Hobby Room

If you have a spare bedroom that your child could use when they come home from school, you may decide to forgo keeping their room a bedroom at all.

In this instance, you may instead choose to use their space differently.

Perhaps you are a crafter, a reader, or a fitness enthusiast. If multipurpose isn’t your top priority, you can opt to create a hobby room to enjoy your favorite activities. 

Your child’s room could become your own personal library with a few bookshelves and comfortable chairs. You could add in supplies and work surfaces to create a colorful crafting space.

Or, you could design your own home gym with fitness equipment. 

The possibilities are endless if you can utilize the space however you choose. If you have an activity you’re passionate about; this could be the perfect opportunity to enjoy a personal hobby room. 

Utilizing Your Child’s Room While They Are Away

Having a child at college creates a room that likely won’t get used very often. Rather than letting the space go to waste, consider reinventing the room into something functional and useful.

Whether you opt for an updated spare room, a multifunctional space, or an area for your favorite hobbies, there is no end to how you can use your college student’s bedroom. Just be sure to talk to your child about the changes to understand their feelings and how they could affect them.

Once you understand their thoughts, you’re free to create the perfect space that allows you to enjoy the extra room in your home without leaving your child with nowhere to sleep when they return. 

How To Use Your Child's Room When They Live At School

Alexandra Arcand writes and researches for the auto insurance comparison site, AutoInsurance.org.

She enjoys getting the most out of her space and hopes to share her knowledge with others looking to do the same. 

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.