Living in a tiny house has its own sets of advantages and disadvantages. But living in a tiny house with kids is a totally different story. One thing is for sure, it comes with a lot of benefits. 

One pertinent benefit of living in a tiny house with kids is that you can save money from house and utility bills. This means that you have extra bucks to spend on other things such as treating your kids to a sweet dessert. Aside from you can save money, you are also teaching your kids to be frugal and eco-friendly when you are living in a tiny house. 

But of course, living in a tiny house with kids isn’t exactly as good as it sounds. It has its drawbacks too. Normally, kids love to play around and get messy and chaotic at times.

Dealing with chaos and mess in a full-sized house is already challenging, what more in a tiny house, right? This could even make you question whether your decision to live in a tiny house with kids is right or not. 

The key to successfully living in a tiny house with kids is to plan ahead of time. Living with your kids in a tiny house could be a fun learning experience for all of you. Here are 12 real-life tips on how you can survive to live in a tiny house with kids.

1. Be Practical with Your Home Design 

Surviving living in a tiny house with kids starts with how you will design your home. It all starts with a plan that is made on the drafting board. If you want to live comfortably and happily in a tiny house with your kids, you have to choose a layout that is fitted for you and your kids. 

The layout and features if your tiny house should simplify your lifestyle. For example, instead of going for a smaller sink, you can choose a larger one. Why? Because most probably, your dishes will get piled up with all the responsibilities you have on your shoulder. 

Quality is important (more of this later), so choose a large and durable sink. We recommend KRAUS KWU110-32 Kore Workstation.

Also, you could have a small bathtub installed instead of having a shower alone. Having a shower alone is space-saving but is not practical just especially when your floor is not engineered. Remember, kids, love to run around when their feet are wet. Your floor might get destroyed easily because of that. 

2. Go for a Big Porch Where Your Kids can Play and Run Around

For sure, you grew up in a full-sized house since tiny houses were invented not too long ago. This means that you have a lot of fond memories playing and running around inside the house. Just like you, kids love to play in big spaces too. 

They can’t spend a long time staying indoors, more so if they are living in a tiny house. The limited space that tiny houses offer is something that they can’t easily deal with. This is most especially true when they are very active and love to play and run. 

Due to this, having a large porch in your tiny house is a good idea. With this, your kids can have enough space that they need to have fun. Aside from having a place to play, they can also hang out and relax here. 

If your tiny house is built somewhere with a beautiful view, like near the ocean or forest, then that is even better. They would feel like they are just camping. They can have a sense of freedom even when they are just near you.

How about buying your kids this beautiful Backyard Discovery Sweetwater All Cedar Wooden Playhouse that you can build and store easily?

3. Design Your Tiny House with Expansion Mind 

If you are already in a tiny house and have plans to have more kids, you should design your homes with that thought. Make your home expandable so that you can easily make space for new family members. You can give them the space that they need so that your tiny house won’t feel too crowded. 

For example, you can have a covered patio that you can easily close and turn it into an extra room once you have another kid. With this, your kids can have their own bedroom right in your tiny house. 

Have your tiny house designed in such a way that you can make more room for adjustments as needed. In as much as possible, do not go for a confined design which will make it hard for you to have more space very soon when changes are necessary.

4. Set Up Spaces in Your Tiny House for Kids’ Storage 

Living in a tiny house isn’t the same as living in a big suburban house. This means that most if not all of the stuff of your kids are stored in their bedroom while yours are stored somewhere in the house. But living in a tiny house doesn’t work this way. 

With the limited space that you have, you and your kids have to equally share the space. Their things will be stored I lofts around the house unlike in a traditional house where their stuff is stored in their own bedrooms. 

It is very important that you allot spaces for your kids’ staff to be more organized. This will also make it easier to find their things when they need them. And, your tiny house will look even better as well.

Keep in mind that your space is very limited which makes it necessary for you to be creative in maximizing the available spaces that you have for your kids. In as much as possible, do not allow even just an inch of space to be wasted. Get the most out of what your tiny house has to offer. 

What about this clever and stylish ottoman that doubles as a storage box? Check out B FSOBEIIALAO Folding Storage Ottoman.

5. Set Aside Spaces for Private Time

Living in a tiny house doesn’t mean that you can’t have your own private time. That’s not the way it goes. Tiny houses don’t take away privacy from you. 

Achieving privacy in a tiny house is very difficult but is possible. Privacy is important not just to you but to your kids as well most especially when you are living with a teenager. So make sure that you provide them the private space that they need. 

To do so, you could have a wall dividers. But if you are rubbing out of budget, a thick curtain to cover the space will do. TheSpaceesn’t have to be big. What matters most is that they can have their own private space where no one is watching over them almost all the time. 

Having a private space in a tiny house is really challenging. Like how can you even have that with such limited space? Well, creativity and resourcefulness is the key.

Wood panel dividers are good, but they often eat too much space. An excellent alternative is this RYB HOME Wall Divider Curtain.

6. At Some Point, Plan to Build Your Tiny House for your Teens

Your kids won’t kids won’t stay kids forever. They will eventually grow up and become teens. This means that the comfort they are feeling right now of having you around even when they are sleeping won’t be the same soon. 

Most probably, they will crave to have their own personal space soon. They will look for autonomy and would like to try to be on their own. With this, considering such changes is very necessary when planning to build your tiny house. 

A good way to give them what they want is to let them build and design their own tiny house. Doing so gives them the opportunity to do whatever they want in their tiny house while they are gaining construction skills along the way. This will also teach them to become more sufficient. And you are helping them to become financially free from paying the mortgage and all very soon. 

This is indeed a good idea for your child to have more freedom and autonomy over their life. Plus, this will teach them to be more responsible for their decisions. 

7. Give Kids a “Hideaway”

What does giving kids a hideaway mean? Well, there are times that a nook isn’t enough to give your kids the privacy that they need. Sometimes, what they need is a hideaway where they can be free.

Perhaps, you can build a Kid Cave for them to give them complete privacy. You can build it underneath their bed where your child fits. For your kid to have fun, you can also add fun games and activities that they can do while they are there. 

In making their hideaway, make sure that they are comfortable and that they are safe. Their safety is very important. You should always consider it when making their own private space. 

Your kid’s hideaway doesn’t have to be expensive. Check out this Zeke and Zoey Hanging Grey Bed Canopy.

8. Put Away Project Materials at the End of the Day

The living room of your tiny house can be very messy when you or your child is working on something. If you are living in a full-sized house, you can just leave it when you can’t finish it within the day. You can just store them in the garage, basement, or in the bedroom. 

But since you are living in a tiny house, doing so is not allowed. Not unless you want to live in a total mess. With tiny houses, you do not have the luxury of enough space. 

Left out projects will accumulate clutter rapidly. In no time, this could get all the spaces that you have to relax, eat, and do other activities. So, the best thing to do is to have a separate space where you can do projects. The space could also serve as storage for u finished projects and project supplies. 

It is very important that you put away any material that you have used during the day. This will make your space clutter-free and more organized.

9. Use a Storage Shed for Toys 

Kids love toys that they collect a lot of them. But their toys can easily add up to a lot of clutter. This makes it necessary for you to do something to ensure that your tiny house will still look organized and clutter-free. 

In as much as you want to keep away the toys of your kids away, it would be impossible to do so. This is especially true when your kids are very attached to their toys. So, your best option is to build a storage shed at the back of your tiny house.

If building a shed is impossible, then your next best choice is to rent a shed nearby. What is important is that your kids can easily access their toys and your tiny house is not chaotic. 

Your tiny house has very limited space. The toys of your kids will eat up much of this space if you do not put them somewhere else. So, in as much as possible, keep them away inside of your tiny house. 

We found this Simplehouseware Stuffed Animal Jumbo Toy Storage Hammock. It’s the perfect place that keeps toys without eating too much space.

10. Carefully Weigh the Pros and Cons of Homeschool

Another important thing that you have to consider is whether you are going to homeschool your kids or not. Many tiny homeowners choose to homeschool their kids due to their lifestyle. Homeschooling their kids gives them the freedom to move from one place to another or to live off the grid. 

But the thing is, homeschooling the kids takes away their chance to mingle and learn from their peers. They are not given the chance to experience the school setting. Moreover, their kids are only given limited means to develop their social well being. 

There is no such thing as right or wrong when deciding whether you will homeschool your child or not.

It differs from one family to another. Homeschooling might be the best option for your child. But what is best for you isn’t exactly the same for others. The point is, do what you think is better and more convenient for you and your child.

To get more resources for your child’s homeschooling, check out All Digital School. They have a wide collection of resources to support your child’s home education and distance learning.

11. Go for Convertible Spaces

Living in a tiny house with kids means that you have to create multifunctional areas to maximize everything. Like for example, the bed takes up a lot of space in your tiny house. And if you make it convertible, then basically you are saving space and money at the same time. 

When it comes to sleeping space and beddings for your kids, always choose designs that are multi-functional. You can find a lot of these multifunctional designs in apartments. These designs work great when adapted to tiny houses. 

In as much as possible, choose a design that serves multiple functions. Instead of going for a large bed, why not choose a sofa bed instead? This way, you have something to sit on during the day and your kids can sleep there at night. Be creative in discovering what you can do to make every space useful in your ting house. 

12. Focus on Quality Over Quantity 

When living in a tiny house with kids, it is better that you buy high-quality stuff. Go for stuff that doesn’t easily get destroyed. This is because your kids will surely move and play around. 

With the limited space that you have, your kids could easily mess up and break your stuff. With this, you will have to bug another from time to time. And, that is more expensive than you think. 

If you think you have saved from buying cheaper things, then you are certainly wrong. High-quality materials last longer while cheaper materials easily get destroyed. And you might not notice it, but you actually have spent more on buying every time certain stuff is destroyed.

Get more ideas on how to live with a baby in a tiny house, check out our blog post How to Live in a Tiny House With a Baby: A Quick Guide.

Conclusion

 Living in a tiny house is very challenging but is possible. You can make it work as long as you are prepared and you certainly know what to do. If you have been planning to live in a tiny house but is holding off because of your kids, then think again. 

Having kids around isn’t exactly a problem. Your kids will adapt just fine in no time. So, go and live the tiny house lifestyle now. 

Related Questions

Is it okay to live in a tiny house with kids?

Yes, it is certainly okay to live in a tiny house with kids. There is no such law that prohibits you from living in a tiny house with kids. But of course, you have to be responsible for ensuring that your kids are safe. Besides, raising a kid in a tiny house is less expensive. 

What is the best thing to do when living in a tiny house with kids?

The best thing to do is to make our tiny house child-friendly. This is possible by baby-proofing your house. It is also very important that you keep away sharp and harmful materials. And if possible, do not leave your kid unattended. 

Can kids still have fun even when they are living in a tiny house?

Yes, they can still have fun even when they are living in a tiny house. After all, happiness doesn’t rely on how big or small the house is. But of course, it pays if you exert extra effort for your kids to have fun. You can give them space where they can play.