By Charlotte Bowman
Occasionally my husband and I talk about downsizing to a smaller house. We joke about building a tiny house with less than 500-square-feet.
Just imagine all the money we could save with a lower mortgage payment and utility bills. What flexibility and financial freedom.
Imagine the lack of clutter. Every item would have a specific purpose and place. Cleaning house would be so easy!
Life would be simple, frugal, and stress-free. Right? For the two of us, maybe. But we have kids.
Can a family of four voluntarily live in a space the size of a large SUV without killing each other? Other families do, and their tiny homes are pretty cute too!
Where would we put our stuff? With less storage and no free space, the toy box would be a shoebox. Little man’s gazillion Lego bricks? Gone. Squeedunk’s art supplies? Gone. Daddy’s computer books? Gone. Mama’s purse collection? Wait… what?
What would living in a tiny space do to our family dynamics? With four people living on top of each other, outdoor playtime would be crucial. More outdoor playtime means less video game time — not to mention less risk of childhood obesity. With no place to hide, we would be forced to interact and be polite to each other. That’s good!
How would we entertain in a tiny house? Granted, it doesn’t happen often, but we like to have company now and then. Our young guests may not mind sleeping in a tent out back, but I’m not sure about my relatives.
Then there’s our careers to consider. Both my husband and I work from home. The luxury of separate home offices would become a fond memory. Ack!
A Lilliputian life-style may not be the best idea for our family. Still, it’s fun to imagine. Right?
