I have always lived like that, but the number of people and the size of the apartment varied.
Kids are at school, we were at work or out and about on weekends. Never needed much space once we are at home.
We have pool, rooftop, library in the building, green spaces with benches, playgrounds all nearby, but the kid is pretty tired coming from school.
I like living in an apartment after growing up on a farm. There's so much less to do/clean-up after coming from work.

Our family lived like this when we immigrated to the U.S. many decades ago.

It will probably be frustrating at times, but could also be a fond memory once you are past this time of struggle as it was for us.

Good luck!

It’s more important that you are in a safe, good schools neighborhood and if that means a smaller apartment then go for it.

Agree it’s about mindset. People live like this all over the world. Good luck!

What's your monthly housing budget?

Do you have a car? Could you live further out and get a larger place?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is your relationship with your ex? A friend's ex actually called CPS on her for this because she was sharing the room with her daughters, which was so unfair since his financial situation was better and she fled because he was abusive. She ended up getting a two bedroom she could barely afford.

That's silly if its same gender.

+1. A mother sharing a room with her 2 daughters is CPS-worthy? Wow.

Look for basement apartments in single family homes. I lived in one with my son for 10+ yrs in a very nice neighborhood. It was a one bedroom plus a den. I couldn’t afford anything bigger. My kid got to go to a much better school than I expected because we weren’t renting in an apartment complex.

Anonymous wrote:What is your relationship with your ex? A friend's ex actually called CPS on her for this because she was sharing the room with her daughters, which was so unfair since his financial situation was better and she fled because he was abusive. She ended up getting a two bedroom she could barely afford.

That's silly if its same gender.

Look around and see if you can find a two bedroom or one bedroom in and a den. If not, section off a part of the living room and hang floor to ceiling curtains on a track.

I have a friend that did this. She only had one DD and they shared the bedroom for a while, then she moved into the living room with a divider when the kid became a teen.
Personally I would have us all sleep in the bedroom. Bunk beds for kids, twin for me. I like a defined sleeping area.
If people are over, kids friends, my friends, whoever, I want a living room/dining room space.

This is so normal not just in other countries but in bigger cities (San Fran, nyc) here. I grew up in DC, and this was much more common. Either use a daybed in the dining area and make it like a den during the day, or use screens or curtains. Look on apartment therapy for great ideas.
Btw I had friends who grew up like this, and when the family finally graduated to a bigger place, they all hated it.

Also, check out some blogs for inspiration. One is 600sqft and a baby. They had a family of 4 in 600 sq ft, recently moved to a larger apartment. The archives of that blog might give inspiration.

Yes, I am in this situation. Kid has the bedroom, I sleep in living room. Our apartment complex has a lot of shared space, gardens, pool, basketball court, etc, so it doesn't feel confining. I think it's important to have good shared spaces near, whether in the apartment itself, or by having neaby parks, YMCA, or similar. Also, this choice doesn't have to be forever, you can always re-evalutate.

What is your relationship with your ex? A friend's ex actually called CPS on her for this because she was sharing the room with her daughters, which was so unfair since his financial situation was better and she fled because he was abusive. She ended up getting a two bedroom she could barely afford.