600-square-foot apartment

[SeizingThisDay]

Please be brutally honest and tell me if you think homeschooling 2 kids in a 600-square-foot apartment is a crazy idea. 

If you think it is entirely do-able, please tell me why and how. I would love to hear any creative ideas for small spaces! 

Have you done this yourself? Please tell me how it worked (or didn't) for you.

Thank you!

[regentrude]

I do not think it is crazy. The majority of the world's population lives in far smaller spaces than people in the US. A 600sq ft apartment would be normal elsewhere in the world.

I personally have not lived with 2 kids in 600sq ft, but in a 700 sq ft apartment, which was quite comfortable; homeschooling would absolutely not have been a problem there.

The most important thing for making it work is to have little stuff. Which in turn means no clutter and less need for storage.

 

[ThatHomeschoolDad]

People HS in RVs, so should be fine.  This is the one I like:

 

[Wheres Toto]

We live in a 750 square foot house with a lousy lay-out and no storage.  We manage.  Less stuff helps (although I haven't really achieved that).  Getting creative with furniture and storage (my girls share bunk beds that the bottom is on the floor so it fits under our low ceilings, and we have plastic drawer sets mounted on one whole wall to hold stuff).  

 

There was a thread about a year ago where people posted pictures of what their small spaces looked like.  I'll see if I can find it but I'm lousy at searching here.

 

[Scarlett]

 

Please be brutally honest and tell me if you think homeschooling 2 kids in a 600-square-foot apartment is a crazy idea. 

If you think it is entirely do-able, please tell me why and how. I would love to hear any creative ideas for small spaces! 

Have you done this yourself? Please tell me how it worked (or didn't) for you.

Thank you!

 

 

 

How old are your children?  I think a lot would depend on that.  We had 2 tween boys and a dog in a 700 sf apartment for a month or so when we were waiting to move into our house and it was not easy.  But I didn't go into it with a long term mindset and there was a lot of stuff going on (moving, remodeling starting school for the year in a new state, dh getting sick)

 

My suggestions would be to be brutal in your purging before you move in.  And don't put stuff in storage.  Get rid of it.  Have a place for everything and keep everything in its place. 

[mumto2]

We did it for six months when we first moved to England and had intended to do it for another year by choice. We couldn't find another place I liked well enough to bother to move because the 4 of us were fine and happy there. A friends house sale fell apart and we moved on as a favor. We didn't have a lot of stuff. Used the library extensively. FYI the dc's were 7 and 9 at that time.

[tagglelim]

Oh, I'm not alone! We are in the process of moving to a 900 sq ft apartment and will be homeschooling two kids there. :)

 

We are seriously purging our stuff and trying not to over-crowd the place with furniture. We are placing bookshelves in the dining area and making that our school room. Another thing...we are thinking "up". Floor space will be limited, so we are going to install shelving in the walls ABOVE the furniture. Trying to maximize space. IKEA is our friend, ha!

 

Twill be an adventure!

 

Years ago, we lived in a 400 sq ft cottage. We didn't even have our own bedroom. slept in the living area. I think as long as you have a private space somewhere (aka bedroom), small sq footage can be managed.

[SeizingThisDay]

Scarlett - My children are (almost) 6 and 3. 

 

Where's Toto? - I'm going to look for that thread!

 

everyone - Thank you for your input!

[SeizingThisDay]

I think this is the previous thread that "Where's toto" mentioned.  Search for "Photo evidence of how a small house works for you"

 

[CrunchyGirl]

10 weeks or so a year we live in a 38' fifth wheel (traveling for work). It always makes us reconsider how much stuff (or not) we need to live. It's totally doable. Just need to greatly simplify, be very organized, and really enjoy togetherness.

[2ndGenHomeschooler]

Not crazy at all - especially since your kids are still small. :001_smile: At one point we had 950 sq. feet and 4 kids (ages 6 and under) and I was homeschooling the oldest two. Since then we've managed to finish off half of the attic space for a third bedroom so we're up to about 1150 sq. feet - and it is wonderful! I didn't think twice about homeschooling in less space though. We had just moved from a 800 sq. feet apartment so the house seemed big. We just kept "stuff" to a minimum. I kept limited amounts of toys and books, clothes, school stuff, etc. I cleaned out the excess often. I still do. In fact, I spent all day today cleaning out my son's room and tomorrow I'm doing the girls'. We added an extra bedroom for my husband and I but the rest of the house it still small and lacking in closet and storage space. I clean out every few months and do my best to keep things organized and picked up so that our house doesn't look cluttered. We have book shelves and pretty storage baskets for the things that can't be hidden away. I have a shelf for school stuff in my son's room and then each of the kids has their own basket of things on a living room cubby shelf (from Ikea). We do school at the kitchen table. I think I prefer small spaces because it keeps me from accumulating too much stuff! It's just harder to keep it looking clean. :rolleyes:

[Wheres Toto]

Yep, here's the thread.

[Crimson Wife]

I found it do-able in a city but I couldn't do it out in the 'burbs. In the city there were lots of places I could take the kids within walking distance or a short hop on the subway. We didn't spend that much time actually in our apartment aside from sleeping & eating.

[swellmomma]

When I first became a single mom I lived with my 2 kids in an 800 sq ft apt and found it had ample room.  In fact it seems looking back I had more room and better layout in that 800 sq ft with 2 kids than I have now in my barely 1000 sq ft homeschooling 4 kids.  The key is having less stuff, looking into storage solutions (pintrest has tons of ideas), and being organized. 

[Scarlett]

Scarlett - My children are (almost) 6 and 3.

 

Where's Toto? - I'm going to look for that thread!

 

everyone - Thank you for your input!

This post totally confused me at first......Scarlett, Where's Toto?

 

I was like, does she think I really have a dog named Toto. LOL

[KT7673]

My family just moved to a 710 square foot apartment and I am homeschooling 2 kids with a 3 yr old tagging along and we are very comfortable. I have found what others are saying about minimizing the amount of stuff you have to be very true. My husband also made me bookshelves that look like a border on the top of the room. I have been able to free up bookshelf space for curriculum and still have small books accessible. Also, if I do start to feel like the apartment is too small we head to the library to study for a little while or we take our read alouds outside. We "do" our homeschool at the kitchen table mainly and have minimized our crafts/homeschool books storage to a 3 shelf bookcase and a small desk. Our preschool school toys are the only things related to school not in those spaces, and they are stored in shoeboxes under the couch. I find as long as I stay on top of picking everything up after we use it we are not overwhelmed (which I think is the case in any size living space)..

[Random]

Ditto the above advice to purge.  If this is your permanent home, do not put things in storage.  Just get rid of it all. 

 

We have bookshelves in the living room.  The kids do schoolwork at the kitchen table or on their beds.  We have one computer, in the living room also, and we all share it.  I don't have a ton of curriculum...only what we're using plus one shelf of extra books for the children to read for fun.  We use the library often.  If a curriculum has a digital version, we use that instead of a physical book. I find we are out of the house more often than we were when we had a larger home. 

 

I love living in a small space.  We keep it tidy, we don't have a lot of things, I definitely don't buy extra stuff, and I can stay on top of the housework. 

[...................]

Depends on 2 things

 

1. How much you can get outside- good park, lots of walking etc.

2. Getting rid of stuff

 

 

More tips- use all vertical space, get nice cabinets which have doors which close, use every inch of feet closet. (Hooks, hooks, shelves)

 

We did it in 1100 and it was ok because we had wonderful outdoor space and opportunities .

 

Otherwise I would have not made it.

[Mergath]

We still have the same home as in the pictures I linked in that previous thread, and we're still doing just fine. :)  Though I've since checked zillow, and it's apparently closer to 750 sq ft than 800.  We only have one child, but we also have two cats and over a thousand books, and there's plenty of space.  Layout plays a big part in how spacious the place feels.  

[VaKim]

We live in the same house I have been in since before I was married, and my girls are now 15 and 19. It is a little square house with 2 bedrooms, a kitchen and a living room, the biggest of those 12x11, and an added on 6x6 bathroom and our now closed in front porch, where the washer and dryer and freezer are.  We also have 11 cats and 4 dogs who come in at times. We have done just fine. Never considered that it could complicate homeschooling in any way. And you'd be amazed at how much stuff you can fit in a small space if you are really organized. Without it looking cluttered, as I detest clutter.

[SeizingThisDay]

I really appreciate what everyone has said. This gives me some realistic views and considerations to ponder.

 

The point that a few people have brought up regarding the importance of getting out of the house is what I need to honestly examine. I tend to want to stay home. I can relax here; when we are "out & about" I feel more high strung and like I have to be on my best behavior. I think it's mentally tiring. HOWEVER, I also think that after having been on an outing I tend to have higher energy and a better mood.

 

So, this has brought to my attention that I need to make a major mental shift (as well as a habit change) and think of our little apartment as a home base, while the city is where we can do much of our living and learning and playing! It reminds me of camping trips: we eat and rest at the site, while the rest of the time we are away from it exploring. I love the simplicity of camping; I'd like to bring that simplicity home with us.

[Hunter]

My apartment is advertised as 576 sq feet but that includes the balcony. I'm an empty nester, so it's just me, but I'd be happy with even less space.

 

Now that eBook readers and tablets have become so good, I no longer even need to store many books. Almost daily more curricula is becoming available for tablets.

 

I write/draw on paper, instead of a white/black board.

 

I do a lot of reading aloud to students from my iPad mini. And am learning how to use narration more effectively. The AO forum has been helpful to me.

 

Nature study can be done anywhere, rural, suburban, or urban. Vintage public school methods, CM, and Waldorf will all give you ideas. I am in a city, but truly think I could adapt to a small living space anywhere now.

 

Joyce Swann's methods would be effective in a small space.

http://www.amazon.com/No-Regrets-Homeschooling-Earned-Masters/dp/0962361100

[Wheres Toto]

Okay, I will admit that I am a definite homebody.  We have a decent size yard but live in an area with actual weather.  I did force myself to get out with our local groups, but it was probably a once a week, or even once every other week thing.   I found giving the kids at least an hour of quiet time in their rooms in the afternoon made a big difference for everyone.

 

There have been some changes from when I put the pictures on the other thread.  Dh build a shelf to put the computer monitors on so the keyboard and mouse can slide underneath and they use the space in front to do their school.  This way the two small tables don't have to stay set-up in front of the fireplace.  Ds sometimes chooses to do his work sitting on the couch, and we still have the folding tables to set up when we do projects.

 

I will be working this weekend on more purging and rearranging in preparation for the holidays.  I will be getting rid of a lot of old toys that they've pretty much outgrown, moving stuff off the shelves in the living room, in favor of decorations for the season.

[Hunter]

I

So, this has brought to my attention that I need to make a major mental shift (as well as a habit change) and think of our little apartment as a home base, while the city is where we can do much of our living and learning and playing! It reminds me of camping trips: we eat and rest at the site, while the rest of the time we are away from it exploring. I love the simplicity of camping; I'd like to bring that simplicity home with us.

Some people here in the city refer to living in a small apartment with few possessions as "urban camping".

[madteaparty]

If you can live in in, you can HS in it. I have lived in apts that small with 2 kids and frankly found them easier to clean and maintain, etc.

[justasque]

 

So, this has brought to my attention that I need to make a major mental shift (as well as a habit change) and think of our little apartment as a home base, while the city is where we can do much of our living and learning and playing! It reminds me of camping trips: we eat and rest at the site, while the rest of the time we are away from it exploring. I love the simplicity of camping; I'd like to bring that simplicity home with us.

 

If you are in a city, outings don't just have to be on-the-go "field trips".  Think also about spending long afternoons in the library doing schoolwork at a large table or in a study room (if your library has them).  Ditto for a cafe with a big table - buy a bagel and a drink and stay for a while.  Get a museum membership and linger in their lunchroom.  And of course in nicer weather parks and playgrounds make nice destinations.  

 

We brought along "school in a bag".  A few workbooks, a pencil case well-stocked with pencils (regular and colored), small sharpener, pens, eraser, scissors, etc., plus a small bag of paper math manipulatives.  A notebook for writing or drawing, and a few sheets of paper stuffed into a sheet protector to use when needed.  These basics lived in the bag (even for home use), making It easy for each kid to grab their "school in a bag" for a regular or impromptu outing.

[SeizingThisDay]

"School in a bag" is a perfect idea!

[momtoamiracle]

What takes up room in my house is not homeschooling materials. That is all in one corner cabinet, and on the dining table.

 

 

 

We have contemplated living in a smaller space, we did it before we had a child, but I honestly couldn't do it. I rarely leave the house, I have to beat myself to leave to go to what I consider absolute necessities - appointments, church, and the grocery. I really need privacy. We don't live in a town that offers much, library is useless, so spending time out of the house, well it's not really an option. If I didn't love my collection of books (a great many are out of print, and will most likely never be an ebook. I got rid of a lot of classics since those are available in ebook), crocheting and it's inevitable yarn stash, photography, and sewing, I probably could live in a smaller place, lol!

 

 

We have camped for a couple of weeks at a time, and we did school in the RV. You really don't need much. I just tended to get claustrophobic and was glad to return to my house, which isn't huge, about 1700 sq ft, but I do have 8 closets....

[Hunter]

If you are in a city, then the libraries must have free passes for the museums. And there are free hours. They are great places to hang out and REALLY get to know. Schedule just ONE exhibit to focus on at a time.

 

Food shopping can be a constant field trip. You gotta love things like saran wrapped goat's head and farmer's markets. When running errands, just slow down a little, and take the time to fully focus on all that is taking place.

 

The parks and open spaces are just so amazing. Even the shopping centers and office buildings often have indoor gardens and court yards. Many of the plants are labeled. Many buildings and even some parks have free wifi. Look up the plants on a phone or tablet. Journal.

 

If you teach at the library, you don't even need to lug home the books you read there. The library is likely to have nice selection of downloadable eBooks and audio. Many of the bookstores allow you to hang out and read the books. That is where I read magazines.

 

Find yourself a cheap bachelor diner as I like to call them. The kind that have daily specials that include instant mashed potatoes and are run by families that know your name. Eat there a couple times a week. I love "Stuffed Pepper Day" at one of the Greek diners.

 

I don't have a car and have to lug everything home on my back. I tend to use and eat things away from home instead of carting them home whenever possible.

 

Urban people tend to be quite a bit thinner, than suburban people. We get out and around more.

 

Does your apartment building have common areas? Mine has a TV room and a library. And there are open activities and smaller private parties in the community room.

[anabelneri]

Another vote for yes... we have 3 kids about about 900sqft and it's fine.  We also have a lot of the 89" tall Ikea "Ivar" shelves to hold our books, supplies, etc.

 

Some friends of ours live on a 43' sailboat with their kids and homeschooled for years.  I think our living room has more living space than their entire boat.  They're in port in another country now, so their kids are in school to make friends, but they'll return to homeschooling when they set sail again.  

 

I've found this helpful: http://fimby.tougas.net/small-space-craft-storage and similarly: http://fimby.tougas.net/small-space-homeschool-library

 

Good luck!

[T'smom]

When I first read this, I thought there would be no way I could do it. Winter is upon us now and my kids are climbing the walls and they have a playroom, a basement, and their bedrooms to play in! But then someone mentioned the RV! We spend most of the summer in an RV and it's no big deal at all!!! (we try to school-lite over the summer months) So, for me, weather would be a huge factor. Unless cold weather is no big deal and you don't mind getting out in it. Personally, I HATE getting out in the winter and I live where there is a loooooong winter. If you live somewhere with a mild or short winter, it might be doable.

[EmilyGF]

I had four kids in about 900 square feet and it was hard. I felt like they were always waking each other (and therefore me) up. At one point I said I didn't really care for more space but for more sleep, which I thought more space would facilitate.

 

Will you live in a warm climate? Then you can manage. Snow? That would be hard.

 

Emily

[Arcadia]

My children are (almost) 6 and 3. 

 

Pack a lunch bag for each child and spend your days at the library, children museum, tech/science museum.  The indoor play area in the science museum was great from toddlers and up on bad weather days. The building toys they have in the museum are wonderful for science. The libraries have free reading clubs and one of the library we go to host a homeschool book club. Plenty of bilingual story time too.

There is so much to do in the city that I only go home to sleep.  Walking was much faster than the public bus most of the time.

[Hunter]

Being outside in winter is easy when you have the right clothing. You just need the right stuff. You can afford the right stuff, when all your money is not being spent on housing, and filling that housing.

 

Urban people have much nicer coats and boots. And they wear hats. We don't lack for REI and Eastern Mountain Sports and other similar stores. We wear all that "camping" stuff right out on the streets.

[Hunter]

Yes, it's dark and slushy here, but there are always paved paths in the parks, and hungry animals to feed. Tree shapes and bark are easier to observe. Moon watching is easier. People spend more time on the paths and less on the grass, and more time on their feet instead of sitting. There is outdoor ice skating, and some of the parks are beautifully lit up for the holidays. There are frosty weeds along the rivers. And evergreens to study.

 

Just long walks are good, even if not seeing or doing anything special.

[T'smom]

Being outside in winter is easy when you have the right clothing. You just need the right stuff. You can afford the right stuff, when all your money is not being spent on housing, and filling that housing.

 

Urban people have much nicer coats and boots. And they wear hats. We don't lack for REI and Eastern Mountain Sports and other similar stores. We wear all that "camping" stuff right out on the streets.

Yes, you can get out in cold weather.....but some of us don't want to. I think I have decent winter stuff....much better than when I lived farther south..... I still hate it.

[FO4UR]

Totally doable.

 

I HSed 3 kids in a tiny appt for almost a year.  We went to the park nearly every day.  We went to indoor play-places, museums, and the zoo.  I let them take long baths with lots of toys.  

 

The hardest part was that we had no where to store their bikes that was easy to access. If we wanted to take a bike ride I had to carry down everyone's bike from the 3rd floor.

 

 

It worked OK. I was glad to move out and have a back yard again though.  

[Hunter]

The hardest part was that we had no where to store their bikes that was easy to access. If we wanted to take a bike ride I had to carry down everyone's bike from the 3rd floor.

 

Our elevators are being replaced, and we are down to one small elevator. Last night there was such a line for the elevator, I lugged more than 35 pounds of Thanksgiving groceries up 7 flights of stairs while my neighbor was lugging his bike up 5 flights. Several bikes for 3 flights with kids sounds worse. God bless you!

[Starr]

We have a big ole house and home schooled, in the kitchen. I found we used a lot less square footage than we have.

[leeannpal]

We are currently living in a duplex that has about 700 sq. feet. I am homeschooling one child who is 11, and we find it very doable. We use the workbox system which helps us stay neat and organized even though we do school in the living room and kitchen. We do have a large yard, so when the house gets cramped, we can get outside. Also, we live in central Florida, so we don't have a lot of weather issues in winter. (Today, though, the high temperature was right around 50, and our county is under a freeze warning for tonight! Yes, it does get cold in Florida :)

[munashe]

Huh you guys in America are so fortunate. My house is about 600 sq ft and it is pretty much a standard 2 bed house and I home school in it and no need for anything extra to get us space. Ideally a bigger house would be nice but that would cost an arm and a leg and for most of us across the Atlantic, the dinning table serves many purposes if you even have one. :drool:

 

My dinning table is actually in the living room by the way! I don't know of a single home schooling family with dedicated room for home schooling. They few who have a separate dinning room tend to use if for home schooling but these tend to be small and pokey so for most of us, the work is done in the living room or kitchen tables. You just need good storage and we have an Ikea here where we get these from including bookshelves that fit in odd small places. Perhaps these things will be harder for you to source there as you generally have massive square footage but here in UK these are sold in abundance.

 

 

The majority of the world's population lives in far smaller spaces than people in the US. A 600sq ft apartment would be normal elsewhere in the world.

 

 

Average home being built in Britain now is 925 sq ft just to give you some perspective from us used to living in shoe box sized houses.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2398714/The-incredible-shrinking-houses-British-homes-built-just-HALF-size-1920s.html

 

[Χά�ων]

Depends on 2 things

 

1. How much you can get outside- good park, lots of walking etc.

2. Getting rid of stuff

 

 

More tips- use all vertical space, get nice cabinets which have doors which close, use every inch of feet closet. (Hooks, hooks, shelves)

 

We did it in 1100 and it was ok because we had wonderful outdoor space and opportunities .

 

Otherwise I would have not made it.

 

This.

 

Something I put in my parents house was two kitchen wall cabinets stacked on each other as a pantry. Narrow but still held everything they need without taking up floor space.

 

I have 1200 and feel it is too big.

[Abbyjensen]

I know a family with 5 kids homeschooling in about a 600 sq ft home. They do have a porch and large yard and live in a mild climate, so the kids get outside a lot.

 

One thing they did is get rid of beds. It sounds a little bad by American standards, but it works for them. Each of the kids has a camping mat, blanket, and pillow that they stack up and put away each morning, and have folding chairs that they use during the day and put away at night. I would think outside the box when it comes to sleeping arrangements. I know a family that had two toddler beds stack as a bunk bed in the closet. It wasn't very high- the top bunk was maybe 4 feet off the ground, but it opened up a lot of space.

[Farrar]

I know a few families in tiny spaces. For some, it's fine. For others, it seems like it's killing them and the homeschooling is definitely a part of it. So I think family dynamics and attitude are a huge part of whether it works.

[skeeterbug]

This post totally confused me at first......Scarlett, Where's Toto?

I was like, does she think I really have a dog named Toto. LOL

I thought she was searching for a thread titled 'Where's Toto?' :D

 

  

This.

 

Something I put in my parents house was two kitchen wall cabinets stacked on each other as a pantry. Narrow but still held everything they need without taking up floor space.

 

I have 1200 and feel it is too big.

Is there a like button for siggys? Cute. :)

[reign]

I think it really depends on the set up. My house is 650 and feels smaller than my first apartment which was 600. The difference for us is the kitchen's set up. I wish I had more room for stocking food and appliances. The apartment had such wonderful closets!

[Hunter]

I know a few families in tiny spaces. For some, it's fine. For others, it seems like it's killing them and the homeschooling is definitely a part of it. So I think family dynamics and attitude are a huge part of whether it works.

Yup, attitude and dynamics are everything! Also, how family and friends react, can have a big affect on satisfaction.

[Julie Smith]

As long as Dh wasn't working from home I would consider 600 square feet very doable. Well as long as Dh was okay with it. 

 

As for winter weather. It would depend on how cold it got to bother me. When they start broadcasting warnings of frost bite on exposed skin in less then 5 minutes it's not nice enough out to play no mater your gear. 

 

When I was a kid I would be sometimes get dressed for school with no exposed skin, which meant also wearing ski googles. Mind you I lived in what was then the coldest city in the world with a populatio over 600 000.

[Hunter]

As long as Dh wasn't working from home I would consider 600 square feet very doable. Well as long as Dh was okay with it.

 

As for winter weather. It would depend on how cold it got to bother me. When they start broadcasting warnings of frost bite on exposed skin in less then 5 minutes it's not nice enough out to play no mater your gear.

 

When I was a kid I would be sometimes get dressed for school with no exposed skin, which meant also wearing ski googles. Mind you I lived in what was then the coldest city in the world with a populatio over 600 000.

My city is not that cold :lol:

 

Did you also have to watch out for your lungs? I read a book once where the children are held at school when the temperature falls too low because it's dangerous for their immature lungs to breathe the air.

 

We have very few days here where we cannot dress for the weather, especially is we duck into buildings along the journey to give our skin breaks. We plan our errands and treats and activities accordingly.

 

Also some streets are VERY windy and others are sunny and sheltered. We actually plan our routes around the wind tunnels, and/or duck underground to ride the subway just one stop under them. I'm not very heavy, and the wind literally lifts me off my feet on windy days on certain streets. People use trashbags and skateboards to sail down the street.

[Mergath]

My city is not that cold :lol:

 

Did you also have to watch out for your lungs? I read a book once where the children are held at school when the temperature falls too low because it's dangerous for their immature lungs to breathe the air.

 

When I was a kid growing up in northern Minnesota, they'd make us play outside during recess even when it was -20.  (That's twenty BELOW zero, for those of you without weather. ;) ) There were times we'd come in after and my lungs would hurt, but it never seemed to do any permanent damage.  I only remember them keeping us inside for recess once or twice in all the years I went to elementary school.  Come to think of it, they did actually cancel school once too, but with the windchill that day it was -70.  That was cold even for us Minnesotans.