More on Good Questions: How Small An Apartment Can You Have a Baby In?
Max: I'd go nuts if I had to sleep in the living room.
Doppelganger: I'd say it really depends on your baby, and you won't know what kind of personality and habits the little nipper has till she or he pops out.
Alizon: I spent 6 years on a 30' sailboat cruising around the world with two children (at start of trip 6 mons & 3 yrs). Two adults and 2 children in a small boat and we all survived beautifully. The key is to simplify -
irene: I've lived in a 350 sq ft east village studio with my husband and daughter for the past 2.6 years. we're moving out now. it's definetley doable.
Alecia: The only other thing I can recommend is to be strict with yourselves and others about what toys the baby can have. You'll find yourself overwhelmed with them all soon enough. And honestly, the baby will become bored before the batteries can go dead.
My worry is that in a studio or a one-bedroom, there isn't anywhere for one parent to go to sleep away from the baby - in other words, to rest up to take over the next "shift." Doesn't a small space result in two equally and constantly tired parents?
I think you may have missed the point from the original thread. It's not the ideal situation, but it is doable.
Just a quick comment - it was great to read this thread yesterday and see such a friendly exchange of ideas and opinions. So many times I read comments where people with kids and people without kids seem to take sides and it gets pretty vicious - or folks with extremely set ideas about right-and-wrong when it comes to being parents. It probably sounds totally corny, but the thread really lifted my mood yesterday.
I thought the discussion yesterday was good, too. The only post that got my dander up a little was the "Buy a brownstone elsewhere" post. Unfortunately, it's not that easy for most people living in studios...
I have a friend in a studio who just had a newborn. They are moving to a 1-bedroom out of Manhattan, but even that's a stretch financially.
But then I just tried to breathe deeply and move on. :)
I have also lived in a 350 sq ft apartment in the East Village with not one but two children (5 and 2), and the tub in the kitchen. You do what you have to do, and small toys are great!
My husband and I (and our newborn) live in a 500 sq alcove studio that we've made into a pretty decent mini-two bedroom. Sure you have to walk through the baby's room to get to ours but it's working so far and we expect (hope?) it'll take us to kindergarten. We could move but love our building/neighborhood and want to save money for the next big move. It may be cozy, to say the least, but it's also a very comfortable home. Pare down the unnecessary stuff - - esp. clothes and baby toys! - - and make sure you can carve out alone/private space, and you'll be fine.