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Property/DIY

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Original poster

Raising a child in a flat?

12 replies

Foreveryawning · 13/09/2017 16:41

Hi all,
I've been lucky enough to be offered a new build 2 bed first floor flat by the local council and I'm most likely going to take it as it would help me out no end as all private two bed flats are way beyond my price range. I'm currently in a ground floor one bed flat with a garden with my 8 month old. The only thing I'm worried about is once I'm in this flat I can no longer move to another one as I'm adequately housed so it will most likely be my home from here on out, so whats it like raising a child in a flat? Is the lack of a garden really that big of a deal or is it easy to work around? I'm a little concerned about where to dry clothes as well ect. Also getting baby and pram up the stairs too. Any stories of others happily living in flats?

OP posts:

Akire · 13/09/2017 16:46

I live in flats no children but there are about 25 on my landing. We have a lift though so less of problem. First floor will be pain but you can run up with baby put in cot then go bs k for pram/shopping. Once the baby is 16-18m they will be able to slowly crawl climb up too.

Not everyone who has a garden has children outside everyday especially with a car it's more in and out. Unless it's the summer. You would have make more effort to go to parks and the like.

As they get older storing bikes scooters is a pain but there are clever ways around it. I live in London it's certain normal for families in flats and having secure housing out weighs any possible negatives.

Akire · 13/09/2017 16:47

Oh and we have no outside space at all as busy main roadbut many flats have communal gardens to play/do washing

punkpuffin · 13/09/2017 16:51

I lived in a 1st floor flat from when ds1 was born until he was roughly 18 months. Personally if never do it again. I had to leave the pushchair at the bottom of the stairs as I couldn't carry it up and down. If I had shopping with me too I either had to leave ds in the pushchair carry it up and then go back for him or take him up, leave him in the flat and get it. Ds is also very outdoorsy and loves out house now where he can come and go in the garden. I think its personal preference though as there was a lady next door to me who had 2 dc roughly 4 & 6 and she was really happy in her flat. Sorry I know that's not much help.

Original poster

Foreveryawning · 13/09/2017 16:53

Yes I think having secure housing that I can afford definitely outweighs having outside space or being in a house. I guess it'll just mean making a bit of extra effort and walking to nearby parks for some outdoor time. Thanks for replying!

OP posts:

mayhew · 13/09/2017 17:00

In most European cities, families live in apartments. They find ways to have outside time and the children seem to thrive.

ArcheryAnnie · 13/09/2017 17:01

If you are in a flat with no lift, then the years when they are in a pushchair are pretty brutal as you are dragging a buggy up and down stairs. But those days don't last all that long.

In an ideal world I'd have had a flat or house with a garden - DS would have loved a dog, and it's just not possible in a flat, if you are going to be fair on the dog and the neighbours.

When DS was a toddler, I used to take him out twice a day, mind, because it was like having a puppy in a flat - I had to put the effort in to make sure he had enough exercise, not just open the back door for a run around! But we managed very well.

I line-dry all my clothes (no yumble dryer on purpose) inside the flat on airers, and it's fine, too.

Here we are now, in the same flat years later, and teenaged DS would not want to live anywhere else!

5rivers7hills · 13/09/2017 20:32

I'd rather have secure affordable housing on 1st floor with no oitside access then try and raise a child in private rental on a low income.

Tinycitrus · 13/09/2017 20:44

I live in a huge 4 bed flat in a city with three children, we have always lived in flats.

I don't think my children have suffered as a result. It's quite normal to live in a flat in cities across the world.

We go to the park and have days out in the countryside. The girls like communal living although we do have nice neighbours it can be challenged sometimes (students in the building too)

I have a washing machine and good tumbkr drier and it's fine.
I used a MacLaren buggy and bumped it up the stairs. Friends kept their buggy in their car boot.

Drawbacks - the days when it's sunny and you wish you could kick the kids into the garden rather than go to the park. No trampoline (although we do have a pull up bar and a trapeze)

Noisy Neighbours (although this could happen anywhere)

I'd say go for it -living in a flat is fine loads of children grow up in flats and are completely fine.

I hope it all works out for you

whyismykid · 13/09/2017 22:16

We are in first and second floor flat at the moment with two DCs who are 5 and 2. I think it actually makes me better at getting up and out into the outside world so we do and see a lot more than we did when we had a garden I could push them into. My kids are pretty physical so I have a part of the flat where they can climb on sofas and hit each other with beanbags etc which helps with energy levels on rainy days. I used a back carrier quite a lot instead of the buggy, and I leave the buggy downstairs. There is only one other flat in our building and they are out at work in the day so I would leave a sleeping toddler downstairs when she got too heavy to heave up the stairs if she fell asleep whilst we were out - but some days I would just keep walking for longer which is better for my step count anyway!

I mostly get shopping delivered, so the delivery people carry it up stairs for me 😀

My kids are great at counting as we count the stairs everyday!

It's a tricky one, but for me, being somewhere new and clean and safe, which doesn't need much maintenance would be really appealing. You can have window boxes, and house plants, and there are parks - and if there is a communal garden it might be easier to make friends with other young families.

Oh, and with washing - if you have space / can afford to run a tumble dryer, get one. If not, invest in a really good dehumidifier. Drying clothes was pretty miserable in the winter - it could take days on an airer and you could feel the moisture in the air. A dehumidifier totally solved that and washing dries pretty quickly!

lalalonglegs · 13/09/2017 22:32

If it's a new-build it is very likely to have a lift so don't worry about stairs (I think, but I'm not sure, that regulations would stipulate this because of disabled access).

Original poster

Foreveryawning · 14/09/2017 05:51

Thanks for all your replies, it's really helped hearing about others doing it! I think it's only a bit of a novelty as I don't know anyone else around me who has kids and lives in a flat but I'm sure with a bit of extra effort I can make it work. I think storing the pushchair in the boot will probably be my best bet and maybe getting a washer / dryer. As for noisy neighbours , I'm prepared for it as I have two sets of noisy ones above me now! Thanks all! Feeling excited about it now. :)

OP posts:

QueenBeet · 14/09/2017 10:37

I grew up in a council flat so I'm a bit at your query - there are millions of children who grow up in flats all across the world. I never missed having a garden and as there were other flats, it meant I had loads of friends close by. Washing wasn't an issue that I remember and I'll repeat the others - having a council flat, and a nice new one at that, is going to be SO much better for you as a family than private renting. I think it's a brilliant opportunity and I wish you and your baby all the best !

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