Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To ask your thoughts on having two adults, a toddler and a newborn in a studio flat?

297 replies

0valtine · 06/02/2019 19:32

How practical do you think this is? Two adults, a boisterous toddler whos walking and into everything, and a newborn.

One room where you sit/cook/eat/play and then one bedroom. Tiny bathroom and no other space.

Thoughts?

OP posts:
pinkpantsrock · 06/02/2019 21:54

mental, you'll all go insane within weeks

LipstickTaserrr · 06/02/2019 21:54

He's a selfish arse. You should move and enjoy every day with a better quality of life with your children.
What good is wasting your life being miserable just so he can live in London.
Imagine watching your children running in and out of the house and garden. Even a cosy two bed house would be better than what you have now.

PennyandVince · 06/02/2019 21:55

@MrLovebucket

That was before I saw the rate OP was paying for rent. Yes the mooring fees are more than this (our) house costs. But it would work out the same over the year for me because I wouldn't have to pay £6k for london train or £4k to park the car at the station.

OP - could you rent a boat?

Quartz2208 · 06/02/2019 21:58

OP you could get a 4 bed house for that rent in the north - with football teams for him to play in and job opportunites

I really dont get this at all

FithColumnist · 06/02/2019 21:59

Why on earth did you decide to have another child with this man?!

Unfortunately, under housing legislation you wouldn't be statutorily overcrowded when your newborn arrives as you live in a one-bedroom flat, not a studio. So the council won't help you even with assistance to move to a bigger flat. Social housing is not going to happen. Literally, your only two options are:

  1. Suck it up.
  2. LTB for the sake of your mental health, your quality of life and your children's quality of life. If he won't accept that your situation is unsustainable (what happens when your DC are of school age, to say the least?), then he's not worth having around. You need to leave London asap, preferably without him.
AnotherEmma · 06/02/2019 22:01

"I don't want to be a single parent but he's not leaving me much option."

You're practically a single parent at the moment. You can't trust him to do any childcare without you being there. He does little to no housework. He pays the bills but at a very high price - insisting you stay in a home which is far too small and which is making you miserable. And of course his precious football is a priority whereas you get no break whatsoever, do you?

It's hardly surprising you have PND. I agree with the PP who questioned whether his emotional support compensates the fact that's he's creating or at least contributing to the depression in the first place.

Perhaps you could seek emotional support elsewhere - your mother, friends, Mumsnet, call the PANDAS helpline and look up local groups in the place you want to move to.

As for the practicalities of moving and being able to afford a deposit etc, ask to talk to a housing officer at your local council - they can sometimes offer help to find private rented places that accept benefits and maybe offer a loan to help with the deposit (if you qualify).

TheABC · 06/02/2019 22:01

This is borderline financial abuse - he does not want to move and as he controls the money, you cannot.

Talk to women's aid, OP. They may have some ideas about how you can gather the cash to move. Also check out benefits to see what you could get as a single parent, so you have a game plan in place.

Finally, do go to the council. They will not be able to house you, but they may be able to point to resources outside of London.

waterrat · 06/02/2019 22:05

Wow Op he is very low paid for London full time and such bad hours. I would say you need to stay calm and have the baby and focus on both of you getting more sustainable work.

Ollivander84 · 06/02/2019 22:08

He's being ridiculous. I pay £350 mortgage for a 2 bed, 2 bath ground floor flat with a garden up north. Even renting it is only £500 which is half of what you're paying

PennyandVince · 06/02/2019 22:11

Are you married? Do you have a joint account? Is it you or he who manages the finances?

AnotherEmma · 06/02/2019 22:12

"Unfortunately, under housing legislation you wouldn't be statutorily overcrowded when your newborn arrives as you live in a one-bedroom flat, not a studio."

Technically that's not necessarily true. Legally there are two definitions of overcrowding, there's the "room standard" and the "space standard", so even though a living room counts as a bedroom, the floor space might still be less than the legal minimum.
england.shelter.org.uk/legal/housing_conditions/overcrowding/what_is_overcrowding

I'm splitting hairs of course, because even if they are legal overcrowded according to the space standard (unlikely), it won't make any difference to the OP, given the lack of social housing and huge demand.

ChasedByBees · 06/02/2019 22:13

It sounds like it’s already causing immense stress before the baby even arrives. By the sounds of it, it won’t affect him much either.

If you moved out of London - say an hour by train, there are towns which would be much cheaper and he could travel into London on a weekend day if he wanted.

Oldtiger · 06/02/2019 22:22

I feel for you OP, I hope you find some sort of answer in the short term. I know it’s a bit late now, but I’m struggling to see why you contemplated expanding your family? Maybe not planned I guess. Good luck

ThorsMistress · 06/02/2019 22:31

Bless you OP.

I'm currently in a spacious 2 bed flat with me, DP, DS1(7) and DS2(4 months) and we're in the process off moving into a 3 bed house because I'm worried about space.

It will be tight and it will be hell. Will he not compromise on any area?

Thymeout · 06/02/2019 22:36

I think he sounds too tired out to think straight. Variable night-shifts, particularly when it's manual work, are really knackering. Your body-clock is all over the place and you never feel really awake. I think he knows deep down that he needs to make some changes, but hasn't got the mental energy.

You have the evenings to yourself at the moment and need to do some research. Work out living costs, inc childcare, in different locations. You don't have to go that far out of London for cheaper housing and if you can find work locally, there won't be commuter costs. Look at jobs as well. Even find out the cost of the train/bus fare so he could still play for his team and you'll be able to visit dm. You'll have surplus income to cover it. Make a list of what you could afford with more coming in.

Then present him with a plan, or several plans, so he's got a choice. How much of the loan is your flat deposit? You'll get that back, so can use it to move into new accommodation. He could hire a van for the day and get his sports mates to help out.

The bottom line is your situation is unsustainable. Something has to give. If you could persuade him to get a day job that would be a start. Then you could get an evening job to build up some savings.

If he still digs his heels in, then at least you'll have done your best and, mentally, you'll feel more capable of going it alone.

BedraggledBlitz · 06/02/2019 22:41

That would drive me crazy. I understand some people don't have a choice and make the best of it, but sounds like you do have a choice.

hibbledibble · 06/02/2019 22:43

What you are describing is normal ina y parts of the world. Clearly you have other issues with your relationship and aren't happy though.

I have seen families of 4+ live in tiny 25m2 flats. They don't consider it overcrowded and just get on with it.

The children sleep in the bedroom (in a single that pulls out to a double) and the adults sleep in the lounge on a sofa bed. Belongings are kept to a minimum. It's perfectly doable, but it sounds like you don't want to make do, which is of course your choice.

IAmWonderWoman · 06/02/2019 22:44

None of this affects him though does it. He sleeps all day while you’re trying to contain your toddler and he’s at work all night when you’re squashed in the bedroom and having to do any night wakings. None of it affects his life. Of course he doesn’t want to move, it doesn’t create even a blip.

hammeringinmyhead · 06/02/2019 22:53

But babies should really be in with the parents for 6 months. I wouldn't want my newborn in the bedroom with a toddler while I slept in the lounge.

0valtine · 06/02/2019 22:54

Don't get me started on asking him to get a day job Blush

I've been telling him he needs to do that since before DS came along because I already knew it would be a strain, he got a couple of interviews, was turned down for one of them in favour of a more experienced candidate and he rejected the other one when they said he'd be expected to work mornings on the weekend (so no football for him) and he wasn't prepared to sacrifice football.

Then he said he has no time to keep job searching as he's always tired/sleeping so I offered to job search on his behalf. He said no because he's too "fussy" which is bollocks because his current job is awfully paid and very demanding - quite frankly scrubbing floors would be better, IMO.

Whenever I broach the subject of changing jobs now he says he can't think about that right now because he's stuck where he is having to pay the rent and repay the loans so can't afford to be messing about with changing jobs.

I think he likes working where he does because it gives him the most time out of the house so he gets to be "him" rather than daddy, but I'm just speculating.

The second baby wasn't planned btw, we had discussions after I found out and the basis of those conversations were the fact we absolutely needed to move for another baby to be possible. He made all the right noises then back tracked afterwards. I'm almost 30 weeks gone now so far too late to consider other options.

OP posts:
TestingTestingWonTooFree · 06/02/2019 22:58

He’s being massively selfish.

Yes in other countries/cultures people manage perfectly well in small spaces. They might also manage with living with their in laws. Or with their husband taking a second wife. This set up would be intolerable for me and sounds pretty intolerable for OP.

There are lots of people who will live in a caravan waiting for houses to be built/renovated, but at least they know it’s not for forever. OP’s situation will only get more difficult.

PennyandVince · 06/02/2019 22:59

Given you have little time to talk, you need to write a list of things you want and compare notes. I also think you both need to address your contraception so you do not have any more kids until you can afford to pay for somewhere you both feel happier than you do now. He sounds as stressed as you tbh.

AnotherEmma · 06/02/2019 22:59

The only possible solution I can think of is partner and toddler in the bedroom (single or small double plus toddler bed)

OP and newborn in living room, on sofa bed that is both comfortable and safe for cosleeping

Moses or compact crib for newborn's daytime naps

But can they even afford all the new furniture they will need in order to rearrange?

And where on earth are they going to store clothes and baby/toddler stuff?

AnotherEmma · 06/02/2019 23:00

Oh I missed a page sorry!

arethereanyleftatall · 06/02/2019 23:00

Living awfulness aside, what an unbelievably selfish man he is. He's happy to say his wants come before his wife and children's wants. That is awful.
I would leave this man op, he's utterly horrible. I would do whatever I needed to do to get away.
Do you like him?

Swipe left for the next trending thread