Community living

[flum]

Would this work.

I am not lone parent but always assumed I would be (I'm very hard to live with) and I always fancied living in a big Victorian house with say 3 other single mums and we could all share the work/house work / child care / cooking

I just thought it would work. The kids would have lots of play mates. The mums would have through the night support/

I always liked communal living as a student though.

[DillyDally]

as long as you have enough space for individual units to have some time together I dont see why not. and lots of bathrooms!

[flum]

mmm lots of bathrooms and possibly inhouse 'hormone diffusers' with all that oestrogen flying around

[Kelly1978]

Sounds too much liek the refuge I was in to me. It was a nightmare. Soem ppl did a lot more childcare than others, every1 had differing ideas of acceptable behavior, child rearign, cleanliness, etc. Even the mums who did get on with the others couldn't wait to get their own space again.

[FionaJT]

Hi, I was looking into this when I got pregnant and was living in a houseshare (that I had to leave), and there's an organisation in the US that helps set up housesharing arrangements for single mums. Can't remember the name, but it seemed to have taken off in quite a few cities. When I emailed them they suggested I try and set it up here!(I've taken the easier option of moving away from London and back home!!)
I think if it was more of a positive choice than going into a refuge it could work better.

[flum]

and be more fun

[beansmum]

I would hate it! At least living by myself I don't really have to do anything if I don't want to, imagine if you've just had the crappiest day ever and you get home to a house full of other peoples children and then you have to cook dinner for them all!

I like being on my own though, maybe for someone who finds it hard to be alone it would work.

[ninah]

there's a commune near us that's tempted me for a while
acres of grounds kids running free
self-contained family units within a co-operating body ie share cooking etc
I HATED communal living as a student but with children it makes a lot of sense