How long are you planning on living in this house? How often do you have guests? Do you need a permanent dedicated room for guests? How many kids are living in this house? Where is the 3rd full bathroom?

@tartanmeup 1: Not sure...we are military, but will be eligible for retirement while there. 2: We think often because we will be in FL...my in laws come all the time. 3/4: Well, we only have 2 kids. The guest room could also be their video game room...I don't want video games in their own rooms. 5: There is a full bath in the hall for 2 rooms and a 3rd inside the third bedroom. Thanks for taking the time to respond. 😀

I would rather share a bathroom with a tween girl than a tween boy -- I'd give him his own ;)

Do you have a lot of guests? I don't think I'd leave the bedroom empty unless you have guests many times a year. If you do have guests fairly frequently, I think I'd put the kids in the other two rooms but let one kid use the hall bath and the other kid use the guest bath (rather than use the guest bedroom and have to move out of the whole room for visitors)

Have they seen the house yet? Have they expressed any opinions on what bedroom they want? If they aren't fighting over it already, start out with asking them who wants which room and then ask them what they like about the room they chose. I would ask each one separately - out of earshot of the other so they aren't influenced by the "I want it because you said you wanted it" aspect LOL! You might be pleasantly surprised by one of them specifically *not* wanting that bedroom and then you don't have guilt.

If they do both want the attached bath, is there some other house-based perk you could give the one that doesn't get it? Ask them what they think a fair way to decide is. I think flipping a coin would be better for your relationship than choosing based on boy/girl.

@Toronto Veterinarian lol...dying right now... so true!

@Holly all great points! We currently live in a home that has one full bath for three rooms and it has a double vanity. They fight all the time about personal space and all that crap. I'm over it. The more I think about guests, the more I think they would enjoy their own bath. Plus your right, do I move my kid out of the room every time someone stays over? Or just let them claim the bath until we have guests? I don't want one to think I favor the other. Thanks for your great response!

Sometimes houzz threads turn into parenting advice. I don't want to do that, but this does venture into that area.

It might be a great opportunity for them to learn and grow. I grew up in a home with 12 children and one bathroom. While I saw it as a detriment at that time, I now see it as a learning experience and opportunity. I can tell you many stories about how this made me the stronger person.

Here is what I recommend:

1) Give your parents the room with the ensuite bathroom.

2) Then, tell your kids they have a choice. They share the hall bath. However, if one of them wants to use your parents' bath while the parents are not there, one of them can. They are to bring in their basket (just like in a dorm) and remove the basket when he or she leaves. The bath must be kept clean. Wipe down shower, clean sink etc. They can decide between them who gets to use the bath. Maybe they decide to take turns. Give them choices.

3) Then, set up consequences if he or she does not follow through on the rules.

Sounds a little like the military, eh?

@CDR Design, LLC I totally welcome the parenting advice. I have completely lost track of how spoiled they have become. I never had this privilege either. You have put this into perspective and brought me back down to earth. THANK YOU!!!

CDR Design said it better than I could. :) Three bathrooms for four people is a fortunate issue. Holly's suggestion of flipping a coin is a good one as well.

Btw, congrats on your new home, Kanga.

@tartanmeup Thank you!!!

Leave the guest room for the guests. Think of it this way, one less bathroom to clean on a regular basis. :)

I am glad you took this well. I cannot tell you how valuable the lessons are I learned. This was just one example. Hard work and learning to work with others are life-lessons.

They will later thank you, reminiscing on the time they "took the basket" to the guest bathroom each morning.

No stories will be told about how easy it was to have one's own bathroom.

I agree that a child having a private bathroom is totally a luxury: I grew up in a house of five children sharing a bathroom, and I remember it being an item that required planning, but I don't remember it as a problem. As teens, we had a system: girls showered in the morning this week, guys showered in the morning next week. Anything that could be done outside the bathroom -- for example, hair -- was done outside the bathroom.

What I'd do:

- Since two bathrooms are available, assign one to each kid. After all, they live in the house full time.

- Which kid is neatest? That kid gets a bedroom /hall bath. Overnight guests and couple-hour visitors will use this kid's bath, so that's why the neatest kid gets this set-up.

- The other kid gets the bedroom with attached bath.

Something my mom used to say: Never give a kid something he's willing to earn. So if the kids see this as a matter of "one getting something better than the other", attach extra chores to the better set-up. That'll let the kid who gets the "lesser" set up say, "Yes, but I wash dishes one night less a week."

Well, said. The key is: this is a privilege they can earn. When they go to college or start tht first job, they will be the hard workers who succeed. Not the whining snowflake.

Since kids are technology-oriented, you might consider looking into some of the "chore" apps.

Maybe this will help. I have a small Master Bathroom, my husband and I cannot not be in there at the same time. Okay, yes we can, one in the shower and one at the sink, but that will not happen with a brother and sister.

My suggestion, get your daughter a vanity for her room, makeup, hair drying, lotions, bows, pins, jewelry, perfume, etc. all at her very beautiful, large mirrored vanity with her own little chair.

I love mine, absolutely cannot live with out one.

I gave my son this advice, he surprised his girlfriend then and wife now, with one when they moved in together and she loved it. They took it from apartment to house. She said she would never give it up.

There are so many beautiful second hand ones for sale on Craigs list Facebook Market, she can have her pick.

@njmomma that is a great idea! Her very own vanity...her birthday will be around the time we move. Now I have a gift idea. ❤

@CDR Design, LLC I was taught old school, too. When I was a teenager,, my dad told me to mop the floor this particular sat because my mom was sick. I looked right at him and said "I don't mop floors." Well, not only was I grounded, but I mopped the floor with a toothbrush that I had to buy with my own money. Lesson learned. I will never forget that. Nothing but love and respect for my dad. He died too soon after that. I remember all the life lessons he taught me.