If you need ceiling fans to function, you need ceiling fans.

Your designer should be able to help you find one that is aesthetically pleasing and functional. She should also be able to recommend ones that have similar looks even in different sizes, for different rooms

In my area, ceiling fans help greatly in the shoulder seasons between heating and cooling. They also allow the HVAC equipment to run less in the cooling season. Every room in my home (except the dining room) has a ceiling fan. They're all the ubiquitous fans with the lights and white blades. Honestly, I only notice them when it's time to turn one on, or when one of the light bulbs needs to be changed.

If you don't believe me, put the project on hold. Wait until mid--summer when the kids rooms are particularly hot. Then meet with the designer in one of the kids rooms with the fan off. She'll come up with something!

We have ceiling fans in all of the bedrooms in our Florida home. They save on air conditioning and keep the air moving, there are many benefits. We have 10 foot ceilings so they are visually out of the way. If your ceilings are lower or you feel like they are taking up room your problem is probably the fan youre choosing. Get a streamlined, 3 armed fan in a color that blends with the ceiling, and make sure you find something WITHOUT the lighting kit, Adding the lighting to the fan is 1. usually ugly, and 2. adds about a foot of vertical eye clutter. Spend your money on the proper style fan and unless your ceilings are 7 feet tall, it wont look intrusive. Good luck.

There are choices for low-profile "ceiling-hugger" or flush-mount fans.

I love my Dyson fan IMO works better than a ceiling fan in bedrooms But the one in the kids room can be wired in not so close to the bunk beds I do agree you need something to keep the air moving for sure nothing worse than a hot bedroom . I have no idea how high your ceilings are but there are lots of fans to hug the ceiling I agree just don't bother with the light kit just have bedroom lights on the wall switch. I have never heard that ceiling fans make a space look smaller function always is the first must. This one is pretty cool and you keep the light

Agree to the low key hugger model - we have several fans from Modern Fan Co and they've lasted for years. My teenager accidentally put his arms in his when he was undressing (he was not any worse for the wear), we were able to order just replacement blades instead of a whole new fan, which was nice (this is obvious but make sure the fan blades don't run under any of the recessed lighting or you will have an unpleasant strobe effect) There are lots of very low key window/wall AC units you could look into as well

If you use the ceiling fans a lot, then it's part of the job of the designer to find fans that will work for you. They should be able to design your needs into things and not just leave it as nix the fans to make the room look bigger.

"our designer recommended that we don't include ceiling fans in the kids bedrooms because it makes the room seem smaller."

Ignore. A gentle breeze reduces the need for AC, makes the room far more pleasant, and makes it easier to sleep.

"We are switching to recessed lighting now"

Be sure the lights are selected and positioned so they don't shine through the fan blades.

"we are worried about him jumping for the fan"

Tell him, "Don't do that". Get a hugger fan.

I can tell you from personal experience that some kids think a ceiling fan is one more thing they can play with - and break. Our kids would tie things to the fan to watch them whirl around, and broke the fan that way. Of course we told them not to, and there were consequences for misbehavior, but kids will be kids...

Perhaps a portable tower fan in a corner might alleviate the issue?

Our bedroom ceiling fans stay on all summer. This is a case of function first. My kids or grands never bothered with the fans. Each kid is different.