anyone lived in a one bedroom with their child?

[Devaya]

I'm struggling to make a decision here about accommodation and could do with some first hand experience from other single mamas. Basically I've been trying to find a two bedroom with a garden and they are just few and far between in my area. Having a garden is not something I'm prepared to compromise on. And the few 2 beds with gardens that there are, are more often than not priced out of my range. I've been looking for months now. So..i'm starting to consider a one bedroom b/c weirdly enough, there are lots more available in the areas I'd like to live (near friends, support networks, bus routes etc), and many have gardens or at least a patio area. Plus of course, cheaper. But I'm hesitant: at the moment DS (28 months) sleeps with me and nurses at night, but that won't be forever, and I'm worried about feeling claustrophobic after a while. We've moved so much from friend to friend the last few months since we've been homeless, that I just can't face moving again soon after this 'permanent' move. Is it unrealistic to live in a one bedroom reasonably long term with my son?

[Freedom~Mama]

IMO it is totally doable. I think it could even feel cozy! I am planning on living in a one bedroom with my two girls. It will be tight, but in nice weather we are outside a lot and my oldest is in school so I don't think it will be that bad. I am planning to get a daybed with a pull out trundle and then also a single twin bed so that the three of us will all have room to sleep.

[Tilia]

I have shared a room with DD for most of her life. She still sleeps with me so it doesn't really bother me. We have three dressers and a good closet so the clothes are contained. We also have a king and a toddler bed in the room. The toddler bed is a clutter catcher.

We have a dining room, eat-in kitchen, living room, and laundry room as well. We use the dining room as the computer room, toyroom, bookroom, etc, so that helps too!

At our next place I am hoping to find a 2 bedroom. DD is resistant to it, even though I explained that we can buy a bigger bed, decorate, put her toys in there, etc. We will see what happens.

[missmich]

I live in a one bedroom,though in some ways it seems more like a 2 bedroom b/c I have what they call here a "double salon". The living room is a double room and is easily divided with a curtain with my bedroom area on one side. I'm thinking the baby will have the closed bedroom and I'll move my bedroom into the smaller,darker 1/2 of the salon and turn this space into a brighter living room and play space.

[meemee]

so much depends on your personality and your sons. for your need for space and his too as he grows up.

dd 7 and i have lived in nothing but one bedrooms. in fact NOW we live in a ONE room.

we have got it well organised with screens and her space. we still cosleep together. i kinda dont look forward to sleeping alone.

works for us.

in fact i will never get a two bedroom. too much housework and that is something i hate. when we get into another one bedroom, i would give dd the bedroom and sleep on the futon in the living room. it would definitely work for us.

[josybear]

you need to look at the laws where you are. some places won't let you rent a 1 bedroom if you have kids.

it's illegal to rent a 1 bedroom with kids here, but i've gotten around that. this place is legally a 2 bedroom, but the 2nd bedroom has no drywall, wires sticking out of the walls, etc, so it's closed off and we don't use it. my sons and i (they're 4 and 2) share a tiny bedroom, and we only use it for sleeping. it's all bed so we have no reason to go in there except at night. we do all our living in the living room, and that works for us.

be realistic about your needs, and find what works. there's probably something out there that works for you.

[Super~Single~Mama]

I live with my 13mo in a 1bedroom. It's cozy, and has advantages - I can see him from almost anywhere in the apartment, and I can always hear him.

If you can afford a 2bedroom near a park, without a garden, that might work well too. I know you said you wouldn't compromise on a garden, but if you need the space a park is a good alternative maybe.

[clarissa215]

a garden is a lot more important than an extra bedroom in my experience,
my daughter, now almost 4 and i have been living in a studio apartment do to cost and are now in a one bedroom!

she has her own room which i think is very important for her growing up and i sleep in the living room. ( the bed gets turned into a couch at daytime! )

it works great and i would loooove to have a garden, so important in summer and winter for the kids.

If i had 2 i would just use bunk beds...

Good luck

[lolar2]

Originally Posted by meemee

when we get into another one bedroom, i would give dd the bedroom and sleep on the futon in the living room. it would definitely work for us.

I know a couple who does this with their daughter.

[One_Girl]

I used to live in one room with my dd. We both had mattresses on the floor and I would put one up during the day so we had more room to play. My friend uses her living room as her room and gives her son the bedroom, this is what I plan to do when we move.

[feminist~mama]

Absolutely do-able! My dd and I shared a room for several years- we co-slept too, so when she did have her own room it was just for clothing storage- all of her toys always ended up in the living room!

[Pariah]

We're in a one bedroom. My boyfriend and I sleep in the living room, and my son has the bedroom. We did it this way so my son feels like he has his own space, his own decorated room and it wouldn't feel so transitional for him. It isn't, we have no plans to leave anytime soon, but we've had to move a lot so I wanted something that felt like it belonged to him. Also, when my son is asleep at night, we're able to close the door and cook, do dishes, have a friend over, watch tv, etc., without worrying about disturbing his sleep. I co-slept with my son since day one, and sometimes he comes out and sleeps with us. We never officially stopped co-sleeping...we just let my son do what he's comfortable with.

[Devaya]

Thanks everyone. Sounds like there are lots of innovative ways to make it work. I could also envision myself and a possible future partner sleeping in a pull-out in the lounge, and it does seem like the toy clutter will end up in the living room anyway. I think a garden is so important to me, and I want to grow my own veg so unfort a nearby park wont quite do it...but I've still got a bit of time (till 1st April) so am going to keep looking for both options in the hopes that there's a two bed out there for us with a garden..but if time starts to run out its good to know that a one bed is a viable option. There are no laws about this here that I know of...

[honey-lilac]

Bedrooms are not a universal concept. Where I grew up there were ROOMS, not bedrooms necessarily. There were no stand-alone beds; they were futons or couches or whatever that would be made up into sleeping quarters in the evening and stored away in the morning. If I were living in a one bedroom (which I wouldn't have a problem with) I would also go with what several PP's mentioned - give one room to the kids (but with stoway beds probably) so they could sleep in the evening and have my sleeping arrangement stowed up in the living room.

[Lilypie32]

My son and I share a room. I have my Queen bed and his toddler bed. I love sleeping in the same room with him because he tends to have seizures at night and I can get to him fast and I always hear him. The baby monitor just did not cut it. I am never in my bedroom except to sleep. We spend the majority of our time in the family room too.

[meemee]

Originally Posted by Devaya

Thanks everyone. Sounds like there are lots of innovative ways to make it work. I could also envision myself and a possible future partner sleeping in a pull-out in the lounge, and it does seem like the toy clutter will end up in the living room anyway. I think a garden is so important to me, and I want to grow my own veg so unfort a nearby park wont quite do it...but I've still got a bit of time (till 1st April) so am going to keep looking for both options in the hopes that there's a two bed out there for us with a garden..but if time starts to run out its good to know that a one bed is a viable option. There are no laws about this here that I know of...

hey how about a community garden?

are there any in your area?

this is the first time i have a garden.

before that i was close enough to large plots in the community garden that i did my planting of veggies in. it really was a lot of fun as i got to meet other gardners and learnt A LOT!!!!!

[missmich]

Single mamas who have or did live in a studio/one room apartment,do you have pictures?

I'm looking into moving to something cheaper and it will probably be to a studio one room apartment. I really want to have a well defined sleeping area for me and baby from the rest of the living area. I hate when people think my bed is a couch. Baby will probably have a crib as well.

[LoveOhm]

I have been in a studio guest house with my dd since she was born it was GREAT from zero-three years. She is now three and I feel we could both benefit from having space of our own. My plan/hope is to move into a two bedroom by the time she is four years old if not sooner.

By the way I would opt for a two bedroom or one bedroom plus den and walking to the park over a one bedroom with a garden but in my city there are nice community gardens and parks so I am lucky.

[LionTigerBear]

Sorry to butt in-- I'm not a single mom, got here from "New Posts", but my whole family of four lived in a single bedroom apartment for a couple years. I loved it, except for the lack of a dishwasher. It is completely doable. If I was a single mom I would definitely have stayed longer. We only moved because it started to get crowded as our family grew.

Pictures ~ I hope this link works-- let me know! http://www.facebook.com/editphoto.ph...0&id=627436091

[AKA_PI]

I lived in a one bedroom the first year of my son's life. Organization is key! Switch clothes out for the season, keep all toys in a toy box, etc. It can work out just fine and you don't feel claustrophobic at all.