Surviving a Small Space With Kids

This is a guest post from Courtney Frick, sister to Paige, the mastermind behind Flax + Wool

Having kids is crazy. There's no doubt about that, but having a kid while in a one bedroom apartment? We are talking about a whole new level of crazy!

At least that's what I thought before living (and thriving!) in such a situation.

I live in Los Angeles, and the L.A. housing market isn't exactly kind to new families just starting out. And it can be so easy to fall into the trap of thinking that you need a proper house before you can have kids. That white picket fence around a yard, an island in the kitchen, and a perfectly decorated nursery can seem so essential to having a family. But it is possible to have kids in a one bedroom apartment! Here's what I've learned: Expectations are key. I grew up in Pasadena, where houses are smaller, unique, have personality and are ridiculously expensive, so I never really imagined I would be in a position to purchase a house in the early years of marriage. My parents tell stories of their first apartments where my older brother slept in the closet as a baby, and older women in my church have told me how they had two children in one bedroom apartments! Just knowing that most people start small, helps. Starting out with the expectation that you can live (and live well) simply and humbly goes a long way towards contentment.

Here's some practical ways I've handled the logistics of living in a one bedroom apartment: When you're in a small place, everything needs to pull double duty. Our living room is also our son's bedroom and play room. Every piece of furniture that has at least 6 inches of space underneath is lined with storage baskets. All of my craft supplies are organized in photo boxes under the couch, and our son's toys are in baskets under his crib that he can pull out himself. Since 80% of the time our son is awake is spent in our living room, I had to rethink all decorations that would be within reach of 10 curious little fingers. Thus my china tea set on the coffee table was replaced with a copper bowl filled with ABC wooden blocks. Cute, and insanely practical.

But my absolute favorite and life changing hack was moving our coffee making supplies to the bedroom. A wooden tray holds our Chemex, electric kettle, and coffee, so when the alarm goes off at 5am, my husband and I can enjoy a cup of coffee in bed without waking up the baby.

I like to think of myself as a neat and tidy person, but I have a sneaking suspicion that I am a pack rat. Living in a small space has forced me to regularly evaluate my possessions and purge. I've found that just having less stuff around me makes my home feel not only bigger, but more peaceful. And finally, the most practical piece of advice for living in a small space: get outdoors! I am particularly lucky to live in a city where there are four parks within two miles, grocery stores within walking distance, and hiking trails a 5 minute drive away. Most cities have parks, museums, and gardens that make wonderful make-shift backyards. And when all else fails, there's always your local Chick-Fil-A play area.

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