Ask Kat: City Living with a Baby

As the mum of three small boys, an expert in baby products and a no-nonsense parent, resident blogger Kat Armstrong always seems to be called upon by friends, family and strangers to answer tough parenting questions. We thought it was high time she shared this knowledge with you, and her series Ask Kat was born. If you have questions for Kat, you can email her at askkat@ohbabymagazine.com.

Kat,

How do people do it? We live in a tiny condo and it seems like it’s been overrun with stuff for our baby. How do people live in the city with kids anymore?

Jenn, Toronto

Jenn,

It’s possible! Not only is it possible, we’re doing it in our family. We prefer a smaller space, around 900 square feet for our family of five, and here’s why: We can happily refuse gifts from people that take up too much space, and we keep our toys/clothes/stuff to a minimum. It’s so hard to not want to spoil our children with absolutely everything we can, but at the same time, what are our kids really playing with?

Our family chooses to live in the city, and we also chose to live in an expensive neighbourhood due to it’s proximity to playgrounds, parks, the lake and shopping. Because of this, we know that our budget affords us only a certain amount of space. We thrive outdoors, going for walks and having adventures. We keep toys to a minimum, reuse and recycle everything that’s outlived its usefulness and don’t worry too much about anything. Our kid’s favourite toys are Lego/Duplo and art stuff. Our favourite activities are going to museums and the playground or park.

As with everything else in parenting, the parents need to shift their ideals in order to get the most of it!