One mum has bravely opened up about her living situation and we adore how honest she is.
So many families are struggling to find a home with many renting less than ideal places and others struggling to cover mortgage payments. The housing crisis has affected too many families and the dream of owning a family home seems impossible for many.
A mum who lives in a two bedroom flat asked Mumsnet users if she was being unreasonable for feeling depressed about her living situation.
She explained that most of her daughter’s friends live in houses with gardens and her daughter is starting to feel like the odd one out.
“Since my daughter has turned five she's noticing more and more that most of her friends live in houses with gardens. Especially summer time when they get paddling pools out. She keeps telling me she wishes we had a garden,” she wrote.
The mum explained that her family are working class and the chance of them affording a house or flat with a garden is slim.
“My sister-in-law has kids the same age as my daughters and has just finished a fabulous renovation/extension on their already huge house/enormous garden, we're due to go over for a family get together this weekend and I'm dreading it as one of my daughters gets really sad when we leave and starts crying and saying she wants to stay,” she continued.
Her daughter often asks ‘why can't we have a bigger house’ which has left the mum dreading the upcoming visit to her sister-in-law’s house.
She asked her fellow mums for advice on how to deal with her little girl’s questions and the responses were full of support.
One mum said: “We live in a decent-sized house and my children crave a flat! They love the feeling of everyone being close by at night and not having to go all over the house looking for their things. The grass is always greener I suppose.”
Another said: “At this time of year it is depressing, but at least in the winter it is cheaper to heat and easier to clean. Don't have the hassle of mowing lawns, gardening etc.”
“Similar position to you, I always tell my daughter that some children don’t have toys at all, some don’t get dinner every night, some don’t have mums and things change all the time. She is eight-years-old now and still has a moan from time to time but also displays a really good ethic of appreciation for what she has at times too,” another shared.
Another user urged the mum to remember how lucky they are to have a home and we can certainly all learn from what she said.
“I know you want the best for your child but this is a really good opportunity to make her learn that the best things are not always about money. The best childhood is one where a child is loved intensely, kept safe and healthy. It sounds cheesy but it’s true. Tell her that. Make her realise she is lucky to have you and that happiness stems from the people you are with, not what you have.”
