Comments on: Small House of the Past

By: kerri

kerri — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 15:49:12 +0000

Banning electronics in the individual bedrooms is a big thing, Carrie. Also, actually sitting down to meals together makes for the coming together of a family. By today's standards, I don't think 1,650 is all that large, although I'm sure it feels huge after moving from less than 1,000 sq ft. It's not the size of the home, but how we use it, right? Thanks for visiting and commenting.

By: Carrie

Carrie — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 15:39:00 +0000

I live in a 1680 sq ft house. It feels really big to me. Prior to this we had a 935 sq ft house for our family of 4. I don't find that we are any less close. Having a bigger place has cut down on the fight over bathroom time. It allowed us to have a bigger dining table so we comfortably sit down together. We have a bigger living room that actually has enough seating for everyone.
We do have enough room to have private spaces. Everyone has their own room. But the big thing that we did to maintain family closeness was to ban electronics in the bedrooms.

By: kerri

kerri — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 14:55:53 +0000

Thanks for sharing that photo and your story, Patti! Some of my best memories in our neighborhood involved watermelon on hot summer days and my Godparents, who lived just up the street, making homemade ice cream!

By: Patti McCracken

Patti McCracken — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 10:01:15 +0000

I tend to agree. I grew up in a large house, but we had nine people in it, so it didn't feel large–we each had to share a bedroom, and the living room was generally reserved for hosting guests, so we all gathered in the den to play.
Before I came along, when there were only five kids, my family lived in a breathtakingly small saltbox house. My mom's best friend , who also had five kids, lived across the street. My mother still thinks of it as the best time in her life. A photo of the house (with my dad and some of my older sibs picknicking in the sideyard) is here: http://tinyurl.com/yffz7kw

By: Kerri

Kerri — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:56:45 +0000

I agree, Alexandra. If we ever get to Cape Cod, I will have to come and visit your B&B. I'm a green travel writer too.

By: Alexandra

Alexandra — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:30:38 +0000

I thought your theory about increased intimacy in smaller spaces was very interesting. I live on Cape Cod, where I run a green B&B, built in the 1700s. We are horrified as traditional cottages are torn down around us and mansions rise on the same spot. I regret that this has become the norm. To make matters even worse, most of these super-sized houses are second homes, occupied only in summer. People do not need to live in mansions. A lot of the owners maintain low heat to prevent freezing pipes in winter. What a waste of energy!

By: Kerri

Kerri — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:29:25 +0000

Interesting about the PBS program, Kathy, I wish I would have seen that.

By: Kerri

Kerri — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:27:34 +0000

I think that's an important thing, Lisa, to have some space. I also love my covered front porch.

By: Lisa

Lisa — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:23:56 +0000

I agree that larger homes can create an atmosphere of isolation. Thankfully we don't have that problem as we live in an early 1900's "shotgun" house. We are in the never-ending process of renovating and improving. When I need solitude, I can always find it outdoors in nature.

By: Kathy Winn

Kathy Winn — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:50:24 +0000

I think that being separated by too much space definitely affects family closeness. If you throw in a TV, stereo and computer in kids' bedrooms– what reason is there to even come out of the bedroom and talk to anyone?

A few years ago PBS did a fascinating reality show called "Frontier House." Families were given one room log cabins to live in, and had to survive under the exact conditions as the early settlers. They spent virtually all their time together, eating, sleeping, playing and working.

One of the families had a very wealthy and lavish lifestyle in their modern day lives. PBS interviewed them after they returned to their enormous mansion in Silicon Valley. Every one of the kids expressed sadness at the loss of connection with their parents and siblings, once they returned home, and said their house was so large, you could roam through much of it without even running into another family member. It was terribly sad to me, that these kids who had every imaginable material object that a child could want, felt lonely and had a sense of loss, because of the lack of physical connectedness with their family. They all said they would go back to the little log cabin in a heartbeat. So, I would say yes, larger spaces make for smaller family connection.