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If I were a guest, I would prefer being close to my kids, and I wouldn’t care if they were on an air mattress, which they would probably think was fun. How old are the kids though? Might be a little different if they’re teenagers

I would put them all upstairs. Kids probably won't care about being on blow up beds.

@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: I think what you want to do is fine. I think parents would want to be near them and my nephews are about that age - 1) they wouldn’t bat and eye at sharing a bed and would prob think it was fun 2) they def wouldn’t mind air mattresses and again would think it was fun.

Seems fine to me! My kids are younger so I would definitely rather them close but even at that age, I think I’d rather them near me. Plus as a guest it would be nice to only be worrying about one general area to keep tidy- in that situation I would probably be picking up towels and whatever in both bathrooms them.

I think it's totally fine! They're kids, they will be fine on blow up beds. Also it's easier to keep an eye on them, plus I would totally understand and feel like I'm imposing less if we only took up one bathroom, and I kind of get the impression the family would have more privacy with the office set up. So yes, I vote use the office.

@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: We recently stayed with friends and ended up setting up our daughter in the office and we stayed in the guest bedroom,
It was all on the same level though.
If my kids were 8 and 10 and another bedroom was available I would prefer they be in one room and my husband and I in the other. It’s hard to imagine my daughters sleeping habits in 6 years from now, but as of now she sleeps much better in another room, as do I.
That being said if it was not an option or I asked and the host said no I wouldn’t push the subject and stay wherever we were expected to.

I’ll be the weirdo and say that I’d definitely think it was odd that my kids slept in a makeshift bedroom on air mattresses when there were real beds available. I wouldn’t need my 8 and 10 year old to be nearby and would expect them to behave. Having said that, it’s a pretty minor thing and I wouldn’t let it cause real offense. It would just be something I’d shake my head about in private.

@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: I'll throw you all for a loop and say this: If anything, I'd put the (older) kids upstairs, and the adults downstairs. Adults aren't going to mess up a bathroom like kids would, the kids don't need their parents, the kids aren't disturbed by adults up late talking if they go to bed earlier than the adults, and everyone gets a bed without the hassle of air mattresses. This makes the most sense to me. Our downstairs guest bedroom (which we actually just swapped for an office with an upstairs office, because of exactly the issue you're facing) used to get used by adults, and it was never a mess or issue! We felt it gave everyone extra privacy by keeping adult guests off of the "family" floor (upstairs).

That said, if I were your guests, I don't think I'd be offended by the air mattresses, as long as my kids weren't displacing someone from working in the office. IF they were younger, I might worry about what they could break in an office, but with an 8 and 10 year old I wouldn't be concerned.

@Foodnerd81: @Mrs. Lemon-Lime: Oh, whoops! Totally misunderstood. In that case, air mattresses is fine!

I'd probably just want everyone to be upstairs. As a guest, I prefer to have a bathroom that is more private so I'd rather be upstairs in this situation. Plus I'd rather have the kids close by - even at 8 and 10.

@psw27: Totally agree. If I'm a guest I wouldn't want to come out to go to the bathroom and walk into the middle of everything and everyone!

@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: Gotcha! I think as long as you tell her, it's fine! Then she can't be bitter walking in and wondering why you are not opening up both rooms.

I would think the parents would probably want the kids close and not on another level. And they're kids, they'll sleep anywhere!