Appreciate what you already have.
How many times a day do I say this to my children? Many. How many times do I say it to myself? Not enough.
Here’s the deal: my house is small. Too small. Everyone-asks-us-when-we’re-going-to-move, small.
We are a family of 6 living in less than 1100 square feet. It’s not completely unmanageable, but as my kids are growing, the space feels like it is shrinking.
I’d like to plan to make better use the space we have, but before I tackle practical solutions, I need to shift my attitude. Here are the top 3 things that I find myself grumbling about the most but am learning to appreciate:
It feels like we are on top of each other. Remember the scene in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory when everyone goes in one room and it starts shrinking? Everyone is uncomfortably crowded. Someone yells, “The room is getting smaller!” Someone else, “No, he is getting bigger!” And then a shriek: “Somebody is touching me!” This is how I feel every day. Somebody is always touching me, there is always a line for the bathroom, the baby never gets an uninterrupted nap, and I am rarely more than 4 feet away from anyone.
What I Appreciate: We have to interact. We spend time together and talk to each other. Our home enables us to be close not only in proximity but in relationship.
Small-Space Suggestion: When I sense that the kids are getting really sick of each other, I implement “rotation stations.” I set up a structured activity for each child in a different room of the house. For example, one child will play with magnetic tiles in the living room, one will do dot paints in the dining room, and the other will read upstairs. They rotate every thirty minutes until the stations are completed. The kids enjoy an hour and a half by themselves, I get a bit of quiet time and everyone saves a piece of their own sanity.
My kids have to share a room! It would be nice for them to have their own space to decorate and get uninterrupted sleep. My kids might even nap if they had their own rooms.
What I Appreciate: My kids’ pre-bedtime conversations are hilariously adorable and they are developing 
friendships with each other. Sharing a room has definitely been a catalyst to deepening relationships between them.
Small-Space Suggestion: I am strangely hyper-focused on decorating, so my kids each have a night stand to decorate and keep special toys and a rack above their beds for favorite books.
Things get messy! This is so difficult for me. I’m sure every mom relates to this, regardless of house size, but the smaller the space, the faster it feels cluttered. Even if we clean before going out, when we come home and take our shoes off, it looks like a tornado hit. Six pairs of shoes can transform a clean room to chaos.
What I Appreciate: It doesn’t take long to clean a smaller home, especially with many hands helping. If everyone pitches in, we can get our home relatively clean in about an hour. What a blessing!
Small-Space Suggestion: My boys love when I set a timer, give them a room, and see if they can get it clean before time runs out. Sometimes I bribe my kids with delicious desserts for extra incentive. Don’t judge me.
Ultimately, it doesn’t matter how big your home is. What matters is the love inside. I’d love to hear your practical tips for making small space living work!
What everyday annoyances can you learn to appreciate in your own life?
