A couple gave up their bedroom so their children could have their own space – and now sleep in their living room.
Paige Boakes, 29, and her husband Ashley, 28, decided to give up their bedroom to give their children – daughters, aged seven and 11, and sons, aged three and seven – the space of theirs.
The couple moved into the living room of their two-bedroom home in March 2024 and spent seven months on a large air bed.
Paige and Ashley, a binman, prioritized renovating two bedrooms for the kids, but have now invested in a pull-out bed for themselves.
Stay-at-home mum Paige, from Bexley, Kent, said: “I felt guilty that everyone was crammed into one room.
“You always feel guilty as a parent.
“I didn’t want them to make me sad.
“I have always prioritized them. You get on with it as a mother.”
Paige was a single mother to her two daughters – aged seven and 11 – before she met Ashley.
The couple had a son, Teddy, three, together, and Ashely has a seven-year-old son from a previous marriage.
With three to four children in the house at the same time, the children were crammed into one room.
Paige said: “My eldest turned 11 – it’s puberty time.
“I didn’t think it was appropriate to share them.
“It’s quite a small room.
“My son is now three years old and he goes to a bigger bed and we didn’t have room for him.
“I decided I’d open up the boys’ room and take our bedroom.”
Paige and Ashley initially slept on the sofa, but then found an impressive bed to put in the living room.
The couple redecorated the rooms so that their two sons and two daughters have separate spaces.
Paige said: “They loved it – the girls have always loved their desk.
“My eldest wanted a desk and a whiteboard and my other daughter got a desk.
“Boys have toy boxes.
“It’s cozy and comfortable.”
Paige renovated the rooms on a budget over the past seven months — spending $250 on new mattresses and $125 on the boys’ bed from Facebook Marketplace.
The couple renovated the girls’ bed themselves to create storage space for their clothes.
Paige shared her renovations and living situation on TikTok, but was pleasantly surprised by how many others were in the same boat.
She said: “I felt embarrassed. I couldn’t afford to give everyone a room.
“It’s good to know we’re not the only ones.
“You give up for them to have their space.
“You don’t have space, but you focus on them.”
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Image Source : nypost.com