<p>I agree Marian. Unless there’s a space issue they’re just going away to school and (I hope) will be back for breaks and maybe summers. Maybe this is the advantage to staying within reasonable driving distance.</p>
<p>I had a “shrine” room until my parents moved, even after I graduated and moved 8 hours away. It was there when we all visited for Christmas. My mom couldn’t bear to touch it and I’m sure I’ll be that same way. If I’d come home and it was a guest room I would have been crushed.</p>
<p>We left the girls’ rooms alone-both had purged and so things were neat and clean when they left.</p>
<p>Son’s room is a disaster area–it’s also the “least likely” room in the house to be used frequently once he is gone for good, so it is going to be the one we start with–we are installing hardwoods and doing it ourselves. </p>
<p>He and I spent a couple of days purging–including getting rid of his bed as it was completely broken down. He’s been sleeping in his sister’s room for the last couple of weeks and his room is a staging area for packing/sorting/getting rid of things. I swear that kid had jeans from 7th grade squirrelled away in there. </p>
<p>Once he leaves my plan is to rip up the carpet, paint the walls, install new floors, and then put it back together including a new bed and closet organization system. We’ll probably have some electrical done in there as well–I think there are exactly two outlets and the lighting is awful. </p>
<p>In general I say leave things alone until the year they don’t come home in the summer–then you can encroach on their space!</p>
<p>Marian: I think that depends on the family. Your family may encourage students to live at home during all breaks. I know my family isn’t the only one that does not. If the student is only going to be home for 2 weeks of winter vacation and a couple of weekends during the rest of the year, why keep the room as a shrine?</p>
<p>Actually, we don’t especially encourage them to live at home during all breaks, but in our family, at least, they have tended to spend their 3-month summer breaks and 5-week winter breaks here, at least for the first 2 years. Your mileage may vary, especially if you attend a college that has a 3-week winter session or one that’s located in a city with better summer job opportunities than you would have at home.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the feedback. Upon reflection, I’m going to do a good deep-clean and de-clutter and, as someone said, make it a calm and relaxing space for breaks. She and I discussed over the summer what I could get rid of (belts she hasn’t worn since middle school, etc.), so I’ll do that. But as it turns out, I’m not ready yet to switch out her room for my office, either logistically or emotionally.</p>
<p>Our DD has been collecting swatches and saving pages from furniture catalogs for three years now waiting for her brother to leave next fall. He’ll be lucky to get out before her design team (2 best friends) begins measuring and coordinating the major move they have planned. Unfortunately for DD, I control the budget!</p>