If we all had our way, we would all be living in a lovely home with an inviting porch and an expansive backyard with a garden where we could grill barbecues all day long. There’s also a string of warm lights running across the yard, of course.
But that is not the case for a lot of people.
Renting apartments is the new normal. As homeownership declines, the rental market continues to rise. In the US, rental households have been increasing by an average of 770,000 annually since 2004, the strongest 10-year stretch since the 1980s, a report by the Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies claimed. In urban centers all over the world, apartments and condos for rent, given their proximity to business districts, are steadily gaining ground.
While a lot has been said about how the rental culture affects the economy, there has yet to be the same amount of focus on how living on rented homes affects parenting and raising children. A British study identified one of the many challenges of raising kids in an apartment or condo for rent. It found that one in every 10 renting families have had to find a new school for their children every five years because they move too often.
Being at the mercy of escalating rental costs and landlord rules is just among the many reasons of the modern trends in parenting today. What does it really look like to raise kids in a rented home?
Dealing with temporary living
It’s not the worst thing in the world. As much as the hassles of moving too much could be very grueling, the benefits of mobility could be as valuable.
Short-term renting is especially a sensible living option for working parents who get assigned everywhere because of their jobs. But surely, parents can’t just expect their kids to be perfectly okay with it, more so if they have gotten very comfortable in the new environment. It is imperative for parents to help kids get ready for the move and for the sake of everyone’s sanity, dial down the drama.
Child development and behavior specialist Betsy Brown Braun tells parents to explain to the kids that the important things will remain the same, rather than just focusing on the things that will be different from now on. Tell them that you will still eat together, play together, and his room will have the exact same toys that he loves.
Remembering the old, looking forward to the new
Getting kids excited about a new place is a tough task for parents. Especially for families that have been renting long term and suddenly had to move. The kids have since identified their favorite spots in the community, made friends, and made very lovely memories. Uprooting them is not going to be easy.
Parenting tips for condo living in a rented capacity will surely come in handy. Don’t force your kids to forget the things that have become so much a part of them. Instead, help them remember it. Ask them to take pictures of their school, friends, and their favorite things in your community. Help him make an album, and towards the end, have a picture of the new house to get him excited. It’s like telling him to make new memories there.
Value in downsizing and living simply
Most condos for rent do not have the luxury of space. This means parents have to learn how to simplify and use less. Kids come with a lot of stuff and making everything fit is not going to be a walk in the park. This also means that parents have to find creative ways on how to raise kids in a condo in such a way that you meet everyone’s needs as efficiently as possible while making sure that the house is not a mess. Time to brush up on those organization tricks.
Making the most of the communal areas
Raising kids in a condo means you’re not going to have your own backyard or porch. But the good thing is that children get the chance to be exposed in a different environment. Condo communities have amenities such as kiddie pools, play areas, and game rooms. Parents should not be chaining kids to their rooms but allow them to be kids in a controlled environment by letting them make new friends, have play dates, and just have fun.
Co-existing requires discipline
While you may have your own unit, you technically do not live alone. You share a lot of things with different people—parking spaces, elevators, hallways. Modern trends in parenting must include teaching your kids to co-exist and co-inhabit with many different types of people. It is about teaching kids how to be respectful of other people and their respective spaces. It is about being courteous and polite. It is about being well-mannered: holding off the elevator for other people, not being rowdy when walking down the halls, not randomly knocking on neighbor’s doors, learning to greet the elderly, and giving a warm smile to everyone you meet in the building.
Creativity is the name of the game
When renting an apartment, it is what it is: space is small, neighbors can be loud, and everything is temporary. In every step of the way, parents have to figure out how to manage their home better. And being creative is the only way to do it. Raising kids in a condo for rent will require a lot of it. Trends in parenting now include hacks in organizing, cooking, keeping kids busy, and overall home management. Let your creative genius and technology help you.
Renting a home presents a different challenge to parents. But at the same time, it presents a whole lot of opportunities too. These opportunities ultimately help improve kids’ general well-being and help them become better people. These opportunities can also make families stronger, preparing them for the rosy future that lies ahead.
Author Bio: Christopher Britton is an Interior Architect, Home Security Consultant, and a Writer. He often writes about home improvement, home security and privacy, green and simple living, geometric and structural designs, technological home advances and home design. He is into sports and a travel enthusiast.