Women need their spa days with their girlfriends. Just because men don’t dramatize over their work and personal problems doesn’t mean they don’t need a break from life, too. That’s probably why your husband has been asking for a man cave. Can he turn the basement into one? How about the spare bedroom, or the attic or the loft? Anything?

As long as the man cave has the right electrical installations and has a stable foundation, you shouldn’t feel the need to invite your wife or the kids or anyone else there. That’s your turf the same way the rest of the house is for the wife to rule. You don’t even need to have rules if you don’t feel comfortable calling these rules. Although, these will help you maintain the sanctity of your man cave (where only sports, and no Disney movies, are on TV).

The Room Is Yours

You can turn the roof however way you like it. Whether you want to have a minibar or a pool table, that’s your decision. You can invite friends over. You can have poker games on Friday nights. This is your room and nobody in the house has the right to rule over it but you.

You Pick the Decorations

This room is your kingdom. You will pick the decorations and the products you will have lined up on the walls. If you want to put a giant poster of Michael Jordan in there, that’s your choice, too. If you want to hang all your medals from your gloried basketball days, then that’s okay, too. You’re spending a lot of money designing the room, so it’s only fair to have the last say on how it looks.

You Get to Pick What Show to Watch

No Disney songs and movies should stream on your TV and the speakers you spend thousands of dollars on. You are going to watch sports, documentaries, action movies, and whatever else you want. The remote control is yours. You get to choose the volume of the sports games during the playoffs.

There Will Be a Lot of Video Game Sessions

No matter what age you are right now, you still want to have an Xbox or the latest Playstation. These are the kinds of things you will have in the man cave. You will have rows of video games. During your “me time,” you will play games, drink beer, and eat pizza off the box. This is the way you will destress, and nobody can rain on your parade.

Hygiene Might Not Be a Priority

Your wife cannot nag you about your man cave’s cleanliness. It’s your space, so it’s your schedule, too. If you want it dirty, then no one else should care. Your man cave’s either in the basement, attic, or the smallest room at the back of the house anyway. Guests won’t see it. The kids don’t have access to it. Why should anyone care how it looks and smells like?

Men need a breather, too. Don’t be afraid to ask for a small room where you can simply be alone and not have to take out the trash, fix the plumbing, and do mundane tasks around the house. In your man cave, your rules or non-rules apply. Stick to that rule.