Families with children have been sending me questions. Messages show up on facebook, email, here, and apps I didn’t even know I had. Everyone wants to know if they should really do it. They want to build a Tiny House but they hesitate because of the kids.
Well, you know your family and your kids best. But if you’re wading through discouraging “you can’t”s and “how could you”s and are looking for a little encouragement, let me just tell you that Kids Love Tiny Houses!
Besides our own kids, we’ve had about 20 pint sized visitors tour the Tiny House. They step in and they light up! I love telling them to go ahead and climb up to the loft because you can tell, that’s exactly what they’re itching to do! They get up there and we hear joyful bursts, “Mom, come here, you gotta see this!” It’s like they’re visiting a home that’s a “real, live” fort/treehouse/dollhouse.
And we’re just as excited! š
Sully and Story love everything that has to do with our new lifestyle.
This is how I know the kids LOVE the Tiny House.
I haven’t heard “Where’s my ____ toy?” even once. They make no mention about the (huge excess of) toys they once had. Every parent who has weeded out the old, unused toys can attest to this. This time around has been no different. They have fewer toys and they play just as much.
They’re volunteering to take on more responsibility. They’re really taking ownership of our Tiny House and new lifestyle. “Can I take out the garbage and then go play outside?” Sully checks and reports on the wood burning stove’s flue (I think he knows more about the stove than I do.) He makes sure the front door is locked at night. Both kids do the churning maintenance on the composting toilet. They make sure the dog has many walks and this morning Story actually insisted on picking up after her since the neighbor boy taught her how to properly use the dog poop bag. There’s just so much less grumbling around here! Sully and Story are proud to do chores and take care of their Tiny House.
They’re always doing something. In the “big house” we would have to limit screen time. I would list all the options of things that they could do and be met with whining. That hasn’t happened here in the Tiny House. I don’t know why but they’re somehow motivated to always be doing something. Very occasionally they’ll go on pbskids.org and even then I don’t have to put a time limit on it. They voluntarily turn it off and start a new activity.
They have to take a bath every single night. They’ve never been so dirty so many days in a row. They play outside a lot and they play hard.
They are so done with the “big house.” We stop there almost daily to do a load of laundry and/or to continue to prepare the house to be sold. Sully and Story won’t get out of the truck. When I come back out they haven’t even unbuckled. They’re ready to get back to the Tiny House as quickly as possible. “Should we stop and grab mangos and bananas?” Nope. They want to go straight home, no stops.
We haven’t been to the gym at all since we moved in. We used to make it 12 times a month. The kids would beg to go there to play, see friends, and run around crazy. They haven’t asked at all since we moved into the Tiny House! We’re keeping our membership though! I’m hoping we get there regularly when the weather gets colder.
They tell people they live in a Tiny House. It’s something they’re proud of. They get asked questions about it and they gladly engage in conversation. They’re pretty jazzed about the whole deal.
They thank God. “Dear God, thank you for the Tiny House…” <3
They love the wood burning stove. They will do anything to stay up until Daddy gets home so they can help him load the Kimberly Stove. Then they just want to snuggle up, read a book, and watch the flames.
“When are we going to be home?” has tripled. At least! Long drives are torture for kids who love their Tiny House!
They want to live in the Tiny House forever. We were reading a book about different kinds of homes and I told Sully that our family is going to build two more Tiny Houses when they are teenagers. One for him and one for Story. Whoa. Too much for Sully’s sweet little heart. He teared up and claimed he wants to live with us in this Tiny House forever! I assured him that Yes, we can all live in this Tiny House together forever. š Oh, my sweet baby. <3
4 Comments
Love your post!
We have a 9 yr old and 4 year old and we’re going to live in a tiny house! We need to figure out how to build one now… š Speaking of…do you have any idea how to apply to be on Tiny House Nation?? I can’t find a contact anywhere! š
Thanks!
~Molly
Hi Molly!
I just googled “Tiny House Nation Casting Call” and came up with this: http://www.greenrvlife.com/tiny-house-nation-casting-call/
At the speed they’ve been going I would guess that they’ve filled up this next season? But def apply anyway – I hope they have continued success and get signed on for another season!
Good luck on your Tiny House adventures! <3
Excellent post! Loved reading it!
Thanks Troy! I love that I get to write it! š