Could You Spend 3 Days In A Tiny House With Your Mom?

In an effort to see what living in a tiny house would be like this Mother and Daughter set out to give it a try and ended up testing their relationship as well in the process. Melia Robinson and her Mom, Vicki, rented a tiny-house available on Airbnb in Plattsburgh, New York for 3 days. And even though they have always been very close, they found being confined in 168 square feet was a challenge in several ways.

Mom Vicki was most concerned about the bathroom situation after hearing there might be a composting toilet — essentially a covered bucket. “I might be living in the car,” she said.

Melia was more concerned about lack of privacy and personal space. Standing at 8 feet wide and 16 feet long, the tiny house had a “modern rustic” feel and felt like being in a tree house, rather than a shoebox.However, a few hours later, their stuff spilled into disarray due to over-packing and lack of storage.

Due to the house being built on a flatbed truck whenever someone walked around on the ground floor, the whole house teetered. And while many tiny houses use compost toilets, this toilet was a small step up from a Porta-Potty, with a lever to open the drain and a button to flush in water.

And something to note for future builders: Melia noted that when someone went No. 2, the house had to be evacuated. The bathroom’s proximity to the kitchen was equally disturbing. The folding door did not, I repeat, did not seal odors well, and you had to wash your hands at the kitchen sink.

She also stated that she couldn’t imagine living there in the winter, when temperatures drop to -20 degrees. Fearing that even though the tiny house is insulated, you would have to huddle around a portable space heater to keep from freezing.

“At night, the full-size bed comfortably fit the two of us, but you could only sit up if you were centered in the roof’s peak. My mom and I dealt with it, but I could see how things could get complicated with a significant other.”

After three days, they were ready to return to their our homes and embrace the fact that we are, indeed, gluttons for space. Mom missed indoor plumbing; Melia missed having distinct spaces for specific functions: dining, sleeping, relaxing, storing, and, yes, going to the bathroom.

They survived. They didn’t once go at each other’s throats. But neither were in a hurry to go back.

So, while the benefits of living in a tiny house are too many to count, there are some lessons to learn here and I think with time and few tweaks mother and daughter would have enjoyed their time together much more!

Photos: Melia Robinson