Looking for room(s) to spare

Sometimes I ask my son about the house he would like to live in one day. He tells me that he wants a big backyard with a fence to keep him safe (that's my guy!), lots of good sidewalks for riding bikes, a slide instead of a stairway (don't ask) and three rooms just for him.

That last part makes me laugh: He wants one room for his bed, and two for just toys.

In our current home, we have a "family room." This is different than the living room. Toys are not supposed to be in the living room. (Side note: Sorry, Mom, for all those times I dragged toys into the living room of your house on Saturday mornings.) Our family room contains the bulk of our books, lots of my son's toys, a desk for him and my desk. It's a wonderful space for him to play and for me to still be nearby when he needs me. And, honestly, it's my favorite room in the house.

So, it interested me to learn that parents in the U.K. are giving up master bedrooms to their children because they want them to have more space to stretch out, play or study. Part of me understands these parents' desires: I want my son to have plenty of space to play without feeling like he is confined. But I'm not ready to give up the master suite yet.

For now, I am happy that we are able to give our son his own room and that we have a spare room in our house for us to share. This is for several reasons:

• Since he is sibling-free, I want him to know what it is like to share a room. He can't kick me out of the family room. It's our shared space.
• As mentioned above, the shared room keeps toys out of the living room and makes our home look neater overall (or so I like to think).
• I can still send him to his bedroom when he needs to calm down a bit.

I know that lots of adults would love a room of their own (hence the rise of the man cave and men in a room by themselves.) Do you have your own separate space in your home? What do you use it for? Tell me all about it in the comments.