A month or so ago, I came across an article about a family living in a small condo by the beach. Allegedly, they received a nasty note saying that they were ‘selfish’ for having their two- and four-year-old in such a small space when they ‘deserve a yard to play in.’ I’ve wanted to put my thoughts into words awhile ago, but it’s taken me a bit to figure out what I actually think about that.

Firstly, whomever is behind this note is little more than a highly judgmental busybody. I imagine the fact that this made national news only managed to gratify them while putting ideas into the heads of other malicious busybodies. I don’t necessarily wish to sink into the melodrama involved in this happenstance (I mean, really? Who does that?), however it does bring up quite a bit of topic material highly relevant to this blog. This is called ‘Dollhouse Homestead,’ after all!

 

These parents made the decision to move into a smaller home that fit their budget so that they could live with beach access year-round. How awesome is that? Rather than choosing a quarter acre with four bedrooms and finished home theatre basement, their kids will be raised in the great outdoors. Can you imagine the memories that these two little kids will be able to make while living so close to the water? Kids belong outside, running around and tumbling about, not inside and poking at an iPad. In the long run they will be healthier physically, mentally and socially for it.

This article reminded me of a conversation Rachel and I had while walking around the seven acre property that we eventually bought. The house was a beautiful 1920’s home that had recently been completely remodeled – but it was tiny. Read: all three of our boys would have to share a bedroom. We had positively drooled over the kitchen and the wonderfully redone bathrooms and hardwoods, but were struggling to justify moving into a house that was so much smaller than our already little ‘starter home.’

As we spoke about this we saw the seven acres, two outbuildings, giant trees with low branches that would be perfect for climbing, large sugar maples ideal for tapping in the spring, and the fact that the property borders a town park with nature trails. After surveying it all, Rachel said “This is the property that I want our children to grow up on.” Living in a small house certainly has its disadvantages, but I love this house, and I love the land that it is on for all that it gives to us and our kids.

Whenever friends or relatives found out where we were moving, you could see that facial freeze and hear the ‘uhh…’ as the person wondered whether or not we had gone off the deep end. Perhaps we have. But just as the family benefits from the beach by living in a tiny home, we too have realized our own benefits. If this house was larger, I doubt we would have been able to afford it. Because it is small, we were able to buy it and not have to be house-poor. Because it is small, it has given us a better understanding of what we need, and it isn’t much.

It comes down to this: JUST DO IT!

No, this is not a Nike advertisement. I mean it, just do it. We all have dreams. Sometimes, to make those dreams come to fruition we have to prioritize and make sacrifices. We have to make ‘crazy’ choices. If you want to live near the beach, move into a smaller home so you can. If you want to travel the world, move into a smaller home so you can. If you, like us, want to homestead and produce your own food, get a smaller home so you can. I hope that my sons will have many great memories from their childhood living in this home, just as I hope that the children in this family from San Diego will have a blast growing up spending their free time by the ocean. When they are grown, that is what will matter more than how close their living quarters were anyway.

P.S. Yes, I alluded to a bigger project that we are working on in my previous post. Hopefully by next week we’ll be posting about it!