Kids & Teacups - Raising Kids in Tiny Houses

I'd love to go tiny, but I have kids.

Is this something you've found yourself saying? If so, this post was written specifically for you. Today we're going to take a look at our beliefs about what it means to be parents and what happens when those beliefs meet the tiny homes lifestyle.

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My name is Jen; I'm the owner here at Teacup, and yes, I'm also a mother.

I build tiny homes because I saw a deep need in my community for attainable housing, and I saw a way to meet that need while taking my interest in design to the limit. When I started Teacup Tiny Homes back in 2016, I had no idea how big the response to our tiny homes would be, but the reaction has been truly humbling. Our tiny homes cast a wide net of interest, and every week we get inquiries from everyone from retirees to full-time adventures, and yes- even from families with young children.

But while many types of people seek out tiny houses, their underlying reasons are often the same. 

People buy tiny houses to take life back into their own hands. They want to stop living in survival mode, so they can start enjoying life again. 

And it's perhaps families who are most poised to reap these benefits.

As a mom, I know that we all have our individual parenting philosophies, but I like to think that some things are universal: 

We want our kids to be happy, healthy, safe, filled with a sense of wonder, and surrounded by people who love them.

And while at first glance, the tiny home movement seems to facilitate these values, let's be honest- there is the laundry-detergent-commercial version of raising children, and then there is the cold, hard reality that is bedtime, tantrums, and the stage where all your four-year-old will eat is macaroni, and hot dogs and all they will do is draw on walls with crayons.

So how does that reality play out in a tiny home?

It's a valid question, and the most honest answer is that tiny living- with or without kids- is the same as living in a traditional house; it's just more saturated. And while that saturation may occasionally test your limits as a parent, most families living in a tiny home with kids agree that the flipside is worth it: you're going to grow closer as a family.

If you have always aspired to have a closer family, a Teacup tiny house could be the best tool in the toolbox.

Tiny houses bring people together because of one simple reason: proximity matters.

In traditional homes, it's easy for each member of the family to retreat to separate spaces and disappear into their respective screens, but in a tiny home, that scenario doesn't work nearly as well.

Will there be times that the proximity to other family members creates conflict? Sure. I'm not going to pretend the tiny house lifestyle is always rosy. But even in moments of conflict, a tiny house can still bring your family closer together because one can't avoid addressing problems the way one could in a traditional home. And this increased communication is everything.

But even with great communication, living in a tiny house with small children can be messy.

It's true that there are only so many places for toys to go in a tiny home. And if you are a parent who wants to buy a tiny home, you probably have some (very reasonable) concerns about this.

But guess what? Living with small children in a traditional home is messy too. 

Anyone with a two-year-old will tell you that constantly picking up blocks and scrubbing crayon off the walls is part of the deal. And it's no different in a tiny home! 

But that being said, people living in a tiny house with children typically favor experiences over toys. This helps to balance out the mess; if there is less stuff to clean up, more time together, and probably more fresh air!

So while living in a tiny house with young children might, at times, be messy, you'll come away from the experience with more memories to cherish. Oh, and in a small space, you'll probably catch your little Leonardo with that crayon much sooner! ;)

So what if you did the one thing parents aren't supposed to do?

What if you put yourself first and said yes to a tiny home because it made you happy? 

I know that's intense, but hear me out.

We want our children to be happy, healthy, safe, and filled with a sense of wonder, right? 

So what if we gave them that life by modeling how it looks? 

Conceptually, it's simple, but putting ourselves first is something that is notoriously hard for parents to do. Most of us would happily sacrifice ourselves for our children, but what if our children don't need us to sacrifice ourselves? 

What if what our children need most is to see us as embodied, happy adults?

Could a tiny home be the thing that brings you peace, contentment, and a sense of well-being in the world? Could it ease your financial worries, secure your kids' college educations, and be the piece of the puzzle that turns a life of grunt into a life of wonder? One that you could experience alongside your children instead of spending your life at the office?

And how would your children benefit from these tiny house changes in you?

Can I tell you a secret about tiny homes? I've never seen a kid who didn't go absolutely crazy over one. 

Teacup tiny homes are literal tree houses. They are the magic that kids know is real and that most of us adults aspire to rediscover.

Will a tiny house change your family? Absolutely. But maybe it's just the change you've been looking for. 

Thanks for reading, and our team is here when you're ready to learn more.

Until then,

-Jen