Tiny homes are all the rage. They’re popping up everywhere, from within dense city lots to rarely-visited backroads deep into the countryside. Families are scaling down, rejecting four-beds-two-bath homes in favor of tiny houses less than 1000 square feet in size. The argument is that scaling down helps you appreciate what you have more and teaches you to live in a more environmentally friendly manner, literally and figuratively reducing your home’s footprint on earth.

But it’s not just quirky individuals and daring couples making the switch. Families - parents with children - are increasingly turning to the tiny house movement to search for alternative lifestyles for them and their kids. People have a variety of reasons for doing it - wanting to become more humble, wanting to scale down on expenses and lifestyle, wanting to live a greener life - but they face the same challenges when they bring kids into the picture.

Kids have a lot of energy. They’re used to running around all the time and they like having a large indoor space to do it. And parents have been conditioned to feel like spending too much time with their kids is a bad thing by parenting magazines. Yes, there are downsides to living in a tiny home with your five-year old. But there are upsides too. It’s up to families to decide what’s best for their home situation.

The downsides

The most obvious difference is your kid will have much less space inside. On a rainy day, he can’t tumble around in his room, because he’d probably knock all the pans over. So expect to see some resistance from your child about the lack of space available. Plus, your child won’t have room for a large collection of toys, either. He will have to let go of a number of items, particularly if he’s amassed a large collection.

Second, your child has probably been taught that he should have his own bedroom, which are a feature in many new homes for sale, and he may be resistant to always sharing his space with his parents. After all, where can he storm off to and slam the door if you get into a fight?

You will need to come up with new alternatives to ‘go to your room’ for arguments with your child, but most parents report that the close space means no one can easily hold a grudge - it might be a benefit in disguise.

The upsides

The kids might think some of the features are really cool. Stairs to the loft? They love it. Kids will be thrilled by the novelty of living in what is essentially a tiny cabin, and it’s likely they’ll think it feels like camping, at least for a little while.

In addition, the small space forces your child to get a bit more creative with his time and energy. With no private bedroom and usually no gaming console to play with, your child will more or less be obligated to go outside in order to play, which can encourage lots of healthy exercise and activity as well as more imaginative play.

He also won’t be able to hide from you, which means you’re bound to have more regular family time in a tiny house. Dinner and meals will be intimate affairs, and he won’t ever be more than a few feet from you, even when he sleeps. And because there’s not much room for him to play inside, there’s not much of a mess he can make, which means cleaning will always be easier than in a larger home.

Living in a tiny house also sets a strong example for your young child, particularly when coupled with other sustainable behaviors like recycling, composting and growing your own garden. Teaching your children about the benefits of minimalism and the need to reduce consumerism can help instill lifelong values. Living small teaches your children not to prioritize stuff over experiences. Although it may seem like a tall order to bring a five-year old into a tiny home, it may be one of the best decisions a parent can make for their child in a growing and changing world.