does it have a family room and a LR? if so, you could use the LR for the school space. many people have raised families with 3 kids in that space.

Growing up several of my friends had mult siblings - like 7-9. they didn't all live in big house. 1 house was rather large - but not by today's standards. 3 tiny bathrooms. closer to a PR size than what most do as a bathroom. 1 family of 8 kids had 1 bathroom and 3 bedrooms. no family room but did have some play space in basement. kit was maybe 8x10.

I lived with mom and 3 sisters in less than 1100 sf.

I grew up in a home which was quite small....8 kids and we adjusted. My Dad took us on amazing trips because he was careful on the house...He died with a lot left ever. You don't owe your kids their own rooms, their own cars....etc. I know I did too much for my own kids.

Young- Hi : )

You just moved to your new home two hours ago? And it's already too big?

Maybe stay where you are for a short time and look for something really wonderful in your chosen neighborhood? Anything with a little more acreage and maybe 1,700-2,000 sq ft? It would be nice to have plenty of room for the home school area...and as kids get bigger, so does their stuff.

My favorite style is a few big rooms, with lots of open space, but not duplicating functions. So, a living room with enough square footage to seat everyone and maybe have a place for the kids to sit and play....rather than a living room, family room, rec room, etc.

That being said, I would love a library nook off the living room and a fireplace in my kitchen! I know you'll either make this house work or find something you like more. But I wouldn't go too small. It just takes more discipline (in a way) to keep from acquiring too many things, when you have more space. Think light and airy....with cozy window seats and little play areas for the kids.

What's your new house look like? Any floor plans for us to see? The basement could be all storage/man cave...and let your husband clean it! : )

Lol, it looks like spellcheck changed my abbreviation for "years" TL the one for "hours." Ha! That would be rushing it, for sure.

There's no secondary living room. We'd end up with kitchen/dining/living all being kind of a one big space concept, if we opened the kitchen wall for a line of sight. So, what i'm thinking towards is using theupstairs' two bedroom layout for the kiddos- one room for sleep, the other for school/play. Functional? If baby 3 turns out to be a girl, sed have to reclaim that bedroom a few years down the road, and possibly add a small school space or sunroom to the main floor.

Lav- House now is a lovely setup, a ranch with 3 main floor beds, each with attached bath. Bedrroms are super generous with two big closets each. Master closet is actually 8*13, so I converted it to a family closet, and the other bsxrrom osets go ubused. The boys currently share a room. We have the huge all season sunroom setup as a ah space, as well as an unfinished play slace in the basement for things like the play kitchen, trajb table, etc. Large items. The rest of the basement is a guest room, and an enormous storage zone (which, coming from a house without a basement, Was a huge selling point). Our family room feels too big, and we never use it. The dining room is empty because the breakfast room holds out six person table easily and allows me to see the kiddos. The galley kitchen can't be opened, structurally, and gives me no line of sight except to breakfast on one end and laundry on other. Layout only overlooms back yard from the sunroom, go figure.

I wouldn't say we are attached to the area, just that we needed better proximity to dh's job. I've got d we aren't utilizing this proximity lime we said we would, and living close comes with a big pricetag in terms of housing costs. So, I don't feel bad going farther out of town. :) it would also allow us a bigger lot (.7 is huge here. Boo) In our area, you have to choose between a useable yard, in terms of slope, and a basement. I fought hard for the basement....and now feel terrible about the hard issues. Go figure.

Anne- I agree. What I want to give them is opportunities to stretch and grow as people. I wholeheartedly believe growing up in a one bath house gave me lots of chances for that. ;)

DessertstephDessertsteph- so it can be done! Yay! 10 people with one bathroom.. .you'd be praying no one got a stomach bug. Lol

Two years does make a lot more sense! LOL Congrats on the new baby : )

I've lived in houses with one bathroom and with two....and two is so much better! When the toilet needs to be repaired (or someone has a stomach bug) or needs to take a shower/bath, or you have company....

The small house sounds great. Would there be room for maybe a half bath/laundry area off the kitchen? Can you add on a small space? Do you plan to build a garage/shop for extra storage?

Would the covered front porch double as a play space? Sounds like a lovely place to have a cup of tea and watch the kids play with their toys, when it rains.

I am fortunate to have four baths in an a very old home. I think two is pretty much needed although for a time growing up we had only one and then my father came to his senses! I would share bedrooms all day and want at least two bathrooms and if possible a powder room. Sometimes no one wants to follow you ....

We have lived in an 850sf home for the past six years and have three boys, ages 8, 6 and 3. We have a basement but only functional space down there is laundry at this point. We have an open eat in kitchen and living room and I really enjoy being able to work in the kitchen and see the children or hear what they are doing just down the hall.

We have one useable bathroom and it has been ok but I am excited that we are working on the basement bathroom now and we will not all have to share one bathroom much longer. I wouldn't say it is necessary though, we have lived like this a long time and only had a few minor accidents along the way! Haha

Two boys share a room and often the third wants a sleepover, I think it would be fine to have three in one room though I'm not sure they would appreciate it as teenagers. We are now in the beginning stages of finishing a few rooms in the basement and I am almost a little sad that they wouldn't be sharing a room anymore, it has definitely created a close relationship between them.

We don't homeschool so I can't comment much on that but I think your children are close enough in age that by the time homeschooling fully starts all of your children could be involved in the more messy, loud parts of it and there would be enough rooms to have separation when necessary for concentration.

I definitely enjoy having less things, less to clean and more time around each other in our small home. I actually couldn't imagine having a much larger home, I really despise cleaning!

I understand living in a smaller home when it makes sense for economy reasons, but you're already in a larger home - you don't HAVE to fill it with stuff, you can still have minimal possessions! I don't know what climate you live in (and therefore how much time you spend indoors), but you may really miss that indoor space when they boys get older. A basement is great for playing games, a ping pong table or something.

You and your DH know what is best for your children and your family. I wouldn't presume to tell you what you should do. I'll just tell you my experience growing up, and you can take whatever you want from it. I'll just say that I home schooled my kids for a few years, and I found it helpful to have a completely separate, dedicated "school room."

From ages 1-13, my family lived in a tiny, tiny house. I doubt it was 700 sq ft. I'm the oldest of 4 kids. It was a two bedroom, but my dad built a floor to ceiling bookcase in mom & dad's room, creating a minuscule 3rd bedroom, which was my two brothers' room. My sister and I had such a small room that we had my bed and a trundle bed. Mom pulled it out every single night and then there was literally no space to walk. Just a tiny space between the end of my sister's bed to step into the bathroom. It was a Jack & Jill bathroom, so you had to walk through my room or mom and dad's room to enter it. Small bathroom, barely room for toilet, sink, and ancient claw foot tub that would probably be worth a fortune today, haha!

I HATED it! Absolutely no privacy anywhere! The boys constantly going through my room to go to the bathroom because we weren't allowed in my parents' room, nowhere to have a private conversation with a friend because the house was so small you could hear everything from anywhere, having to share such a tiny room and I could never ever be alone. I used to go sit on the floor of my closet, which was actually the hot water heater closet with a rod for hanging up a few clothes. I'd just sit in there for hours, just to be somewhere, anywhere, where no one else wanted to be or would come in and interrupt my solitude.

When I was 13, we moved from central CA to Seattle. My parents, thanks to an inheritance from my grandpa, were able to buy a brand new manufactured home, 4 bedrooms, 2 full baths, 24x72, so 1,728 sq ft. No basement or any other living spaces. We thought it was a mansion, lol! It seemed humongous!

At first. I still had to share a room with my sister, even though they promised me my own room. My dad changed his mind, because they wanted a guest room for all the people who lived with us from time to time. Yeah, we had 2 bathrooms, but one was my parents' en suite that we couldn't use, so I still had to share one with my sis and two brothers. I still had no privacy anywhere. My parents' room and my room shared a wall. Those older manufactured home walls (1973) were basically thick cardboard. You could talk as low as possible and still be heard through the wall. As we kids became teenagers, morning bathroom time started wars. In this house, I couldn't even sit in my closet--a tiny reach in. No privacy!

Here's the thing. It boils down to temperament. I had, and to this day still have, a big need for alone time. I'm a very social person, when I go out to socialize, or have friends over. I love people and I've never met a stranger. Being with friends, family, neighbors, and colleagues gives me great joy! But I also really need private space, and lots of time to be alone. That's probably why I chose a profession where I can work from home, by myself.

After my divorce in 1998, I lived alone for many years. I loved it! I lived in some pretty small spaces, but they were MY spaces. Me and my cat.

Now my daughter, who is 30, lives with me. She, or my son, are the only people I could live with. My daughter and I are very close, and she understands my need for privacy and alone time. Even so, sometimes I "go to bed" really early (7:00 or 8:00) just so I can be by myself. We have about a 900 sq ft manufactured home, 3 bedrooms, one full bathroom and 1 very tiny powder room. We get along absolutely wonderfully and never argue. For us, it's a perfect set up.

My siblings would describe our growing up experience very differently. They never minded sharing bedrooms or bathrooms. They didn't mind the smallness or the lack of privacy or never being able to be alone.

OTOH, both my brothers now have huge homes with more bedrooms and bathrooms than they know what to do with, and none of their kids ever shared a room. My sis lived alone for quite a few years, but about 10 years ago decided she'd rather live with others, so now she shares a house with 3 other women.

I now know that my need for privacy and alone time isn't a character flaw, or selfish, or antisocial. It's how I'm built. My siblings and I are all very close; we're always on the phone or texting or emailing. And I loved my parents very much. They were wonderful people who worked hard to support us and give us a good life. I am grateful every single day for the amazing parents I had.

The two houses we lived in were what they could afford. I wouldn't have ever wanted to be in a different family; my family is the most important thing in the world to me. I love spending time with all of them. But then I want to go home, alone. That's just who I am.

If I ever found out they could have afforded a bigger home with my own bedroom and a third bathroom I could have shared with just my sister, but chose a smaller home on purpose, for whatever reason, I would have resented them for the rest of my life and likely would have never forgiven them.

The need, for some people, for time alone is a real need, not a made up thing. It's not a flaw or fault, it's just that some people need that more than others.

OTOH, some people always want other people around, 24/7. My daughter Joy is like that. If she had her way, we'd share a room and spend every waking moment together. I try very hard to accommodate her and spend as much time with her as possible, and I don't mind at all that she has friends over very often. She has a high need to be with other people, and I get that. We understand each other and do our best to get both our needs met.

Just some food for thought.

Oh, and one last thing...you're still young. But as you age, being able to "go" right when you need to go, becomes more critical, if you catch my drift, lol. Joy and I would never make it with only one potty, haha! And you never know when a medical condition or a necessary medication may strike that makes that imperative. :-). OTOH, I lived in the African bush for a year where six households shared one pit toilet, and I've lived to tell the tale, hahaha! :-)

I shared a room with my six years older sister. I was fine with it, but it was very hard on her. It would have been better for her if we'd been closer in age. Puberty is hard enough without a little kid around all the time.

1100 square feet sounds small for what you need.

I am one of 3 siblings, we grew up in a 1400 square foot house with a finished attic. My brother lived in the attic. It was a good size for us. However, the one bathroom thing was tough sometimes, and I couldn't imagine home schooling with no extra room to do that in.

That being said, many baby boomers grew up in small post-war bungalows that were around 1000 sq feet. It's doable, but I wouldn't say it's enjoyable.

As I grew up and matured, I certainly appreciated having my own room.

I would lose my mind, but that is me. And I would never home school. Again, just me. I'm an only child and gave space needs. As a widow, I live with two small dogs in a 2800 sq ft house and it feels just right.

We have 6 in 900 sq feet, downsized for a year from 1300, moving to 2000 one ready. :). It's very do-able, you just need to be organized. Your kitchen table will be the schoolroom; have files and such located next to it, or somewhere very accessible. Think of how to organize vertically, rather than horizontally, and find items that can be used multiple ways. As far as toys, the same thing applies. Obviously you want as much accessible to the children as possible, so you may need sturdy taller stools they can move around and use. I am also a reggio fan and educator/guide :). I do not homeschool, but have many friends that do!

Also, ensure children have a private space of their own- they cannot be expected that someone will always encroach upon them. I think you'd be fine for now, but as they get older (13, 14, I'd would already have begun planning a strategic move for a home with a little more space. I do not think individual bedrooms are necessary, but having something to call their own is. Look into the way other cultures live, and how people have lived throughout history for ideas and inspiration.

What an interesting thread. I loved reading everyone's responses.

I lived for many years in small/shared spaces, as a little girl, and also later as a family of my own with 2 kids (never home-schooled-but i know and love Reggio)) I shared a room with my brother until I was 15, and my kids shared a room also, until the oldest one was 14(they are also a boy and a girl). They have great relationship, even though they fight sometimes of course as siblings do, and they told me not once that they firmly believe sharing a room made their childhood more enjoyable, and their friendship tighter. Of course now as they are older teenagers they each prefer to have a room of their own:)

It's totally doable.

A good layout is worth many a square feet-that's another thing.

I'd say though-if you can add a bathroom do that. 2 bathrooms are much better than one LOL as was already mentioned.

Yes, when I was a kid we had 9 people and one restroom. I think it was "yay" only for the kids:) I think the grown ups had all the reasons in the world to hate it, especially it being two families using it, not one.

I also agree with everyone who was mentioning coming of age and aging-and changing of needs according to that; and also how different people have sometimes very different needs for space and being alone, according to their personalities. Biological clocks might be vastly different too. It seems like a very minor thing-but as a lark happily married to an owl..not so minor))

If you plan for that in advance-as much as one can plan for these things in advance of course-and recognize that yours/kids needs might change-you have all the chances to live very nicely in 1100 sq feet house, which is not that small by the way.

Now if you were multi generational family-my answer might be different. Parents and kids sharing a smaller space-easier than grandparents, parents,and kids. In terms of square footage I mean.

(I come from multi-generational family sharing the space, and we also hosted my MIL for a bit less than a year recently. )

..apropos stomach bug. Yeah it happens, and usually to everybody at once. Such is the unpleasant nature of stomach bugs))

Also there is what they call stomach flu. Was nice to be able to lock myself out of the rest of the family, so they wouldn't get it, when I had it. I think I lost around 10 pounds then; and it's like almost 10 percent of my weight. Unforgettable experience, that was:)

Also there are plenty of conditions that make a bathroom take quite an important place in your life, and you can hate it as much as you want, but it can happen, and does happen to some people. I can think of, like, four conditions like these only in my immediate household; it can be better or worse, in remission or a flare up, but it's kinda waiting on you. With my elderly MIL staying with us, we had five conditions; having two bathrooms and a powder room helped a lot.

TMI, I know; and I'm sorry about bringing this up. I just really think adding a bathroom-if possible- can never be a mistake.

it is possible, I just wouldn't want to do it again. living alone I've had times I'm grateful for the 2nd bathroom. like when the toilet in one was running, I could just turn off the water valve and use the other until Jed got here to fix it.

and I do remember a time with the 4 kids at home and I think a friend of the older boy was staying with us for a time plus the X and myself - all got the flu. Even with 2 bathrooms, there came the time I sent the older boy up to the neighbors when both bathrooms were already occupied!

We are currently in 990 sq feet with three kids. I do not homeschool (yet) considering it though. But I do work out of my home, so I have a lot of added possessions for my business. I am in the same boat as you, we dont like to have a lot of stuff and our toys are very minimal. We have three kids 7,5 and 2 all sharing a bedroom right now. The bedroom is big enough for all of them, but I feel like as they grow, we will need to give them some of their own space. Our house is great for us now. But I cant imagine how small it will feel with three teenagers and two adults. We are considering adding on a bedroom so the girls can share a room and my son will have his own. If we do that, we feel like we need to just go ahead and make the kitchen bigger (we are always tripping over each other) and put our laundry on the main floor) Then the architect recommended that we add a second (master bathroom) as we will be glad to have it as the kids get older. The plans he gave us almost doubled our space on the first floor. About 1736 sq feet. I am not sure how I feel about this. It will be nice to have the extra space, but will it be too much? I dont feel like I can justify the cost to do the addition when Id rather use that money for travel. Not sure what to do. Id like to hear what you decide and if you are happy with a smaller home.

Also, we do have a second toilet down stairs in the basement. It has been used more of a convenience of (I am downstairs and don't feel like walking upstairs) But for the most part. We get along just fine in one bathroom upstairs. Usually if someone is using it and another person needs it. I will tell them to go downstairs and they decide to just wait. My son will sometimes just go outside. (We are in the country with no neighbors). My biggest thing in our house is just having a place for winter clothing and shoes when you come in from outside you are in the kitchen and my kitchen counters are the "catch all". I hate that! I am always looking for new ideas of making that better and haven't found the best solution yet. My daughter is constantly asking for her own room (she is the oldest). My two year old talks a lot when its bed time and it prevents her from going to sleep when she wants to (she gets annoyed by it). But, I think it makes them closer too. They have lots of fun with each other because of it. If it gets to be too much, I just send one of them to our bedroom until they are all sleeping then I move them back in their own. As far as a toy room, it does not exist. They don't even keep toys in their bedroom. Books only! They have a few baby dolls with a crib and a stroller, lots of playsilks and lots of magnatiles. It all fits in one drawer underneath our TV armoire. Their balls etc are kept outside in the garage so they just go out there to play with that sort of thing. We also have a gymnastics mat and balance beam that we keep in the basement so that they can run and be crazy and active when its too cold to go outside. So I am thankful for a basement. I dont really think I need any more space, I just want the conveniences of having ML laundry and one extra bedroom. A remodel would be nice to just give it a fresh look.

Danielle, 1736 sq feet won't feel too large for two adults and three teenagers. At all.

Even with the most vivid imagination I couldn't predict what I will be at 40, when I was 30, and how my needs would change. Even about myself, let alone others even as close to you as can be-your kids.

Even though nothing beats travel))

(Never liked having tons of toys in the house too)

I'm a homeschooler. My husband and I lived in a 3 BR, 2 BA, 1200 sq ft house (with no basement or garage) for many years. After we started our family, it got cramped really fast. Every room had to do double (or triple) duty. We would've loved to move to a bigger home, but the housing market was nearing its peak, and we couldn't afford to move when prices were so crazy. So we stayed put with all four of us in that house for 7 more years.

Our family room also served as our school area, the kids' playroom, and our exercise room. The kids shared a bedroom, so that my husband—who works from home—could have an office. Had we not moved when we did, we would've had to move his office to the master bedroom so my son and daughter could have privacy as they matured. The living room/dining room also served as our music room, leaving only enough space to accommodate a loveseat and 2 small armless chairs for guests to sit, so usually the dining chairs would get dragged over to create additional seating after a meal. Sleepover guests had to use an inflatable mattress on family room floor. A chilly 6x12 enclosed porch was our craft room. The tiny utility room was packed with a furnace, freezer, tools, and whatever else for which we lacked storage space.

There was not a wasted nook to be found, every single wall was pressed into service for either furniture or shelving. While my husband and I became expert at maximizing storage, regular purging was necessary, sometimes with frustrating results, such as discarding something that was unused for years that suddenly we had need for and had to buy again. When the real estate market collapsed, we were finally able to buy a bigger house without having to move further out into the boonies. When we moved into our 4000 sf house, plus a full basement and 2-car garage, it was like our possessions exploded into the new house. The movers couldn't believe we had so much stuff packed into our old house.

My family and I love the big house we moved into. We have a dedicated room for school, which I highly recommend you make sure you have. The kids need workspace. As they get older, they will need computer space. You'll need shelves for curriculum and reference books. You'll want a cozy space for reading aloud. You'll need your own space to check papers, store teaching materials, and keep your own notes and records. You may want a chalkboard or whiteboard. Your kids will develop interests and hobbies that take up space, too. There'll be bicycles, all sorts of sports equipment, musical instruments, games, toys, pets, etc. My advice, stay put in your bigger house. You're never under obligation to fill the empty space of a bigger home, but I guarantee raising three (or more) kids as homeschoolers, you will be unpleasantly cramped in 1100 sf. And since your husband already balks at the idea of moving into that small house, I guarantee he will not be cheerful about all the sacrifices of storage, comfort, and privacy that house will create.

Don't move and stay where you are. 1100 sqft with kids?! Your kids would hate you for a life time. :-) 2800 sqft is great for a family of 4-5. You can downsize after the kids move out. If there is a financial reason you need to downsize now, find a 1600-2000 sqft house, I think 1100sqft is just too small.......but you could try out by renting a 1100 sqft cottage for a weekend.

It is interesting to me what different areas of the country and different generations think about size. Most NYC residents would love 1100 sq. ft. (talking about the non-elite). In my area my, to me, large farm home is small compared to my old college roommate who lives in the midwest and has a 5000 sq. ft. plus for under 300,000 which wouldn't get me a townhouse here.

Agreed Anne. I'm in Long Island, NY and paid 400k for a 1600 sq ft house with a terrible layout. Coming from a NY apartment, this feels like a mansion. Lol. Nevertheless, I'm quite comfy here. My bff paid 200k plus in the south for a 3700 sq ft house and is now looking for more space for her family of three. I guess it's all relative.

I feel you Imbolling! I grew up in the DMV on a farm. We had land for days and there were many homes...that were kinda small In my area now it is getting expensive. I have moved from the family farm to buy another farm (lease the farming part) and I see the new homes which are 5000 sq feet and up and it baffles me. I think my home is 3650 or maybe 4 and I think it is big.. Like I said before I have a friend in the midwest who has half our income and double our home.....all relative.

I grew up on a farm, We had multiple homes on the farm for family. Our home was by todays standards small......I remember the day the second bathroom was put into use but despite what others say I don't fault my Dad for making me share a room.

I do wish I appreciated the travel more.