Raising Children with Trusted Adults Around: Miki at Organic (Part 1)

Hello.
I’m Inoji from Kobe Share House WARAI.

Miki lives at Organic with her husband, their five-year-old daughter, and a newborn baby. She talks about parenting in a multigenerational share house, the relief of having adults to talk to, and the security of raising children among trusted people.

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This article has been edited for clarity while preserving the meaning of the original interview.

Parenting in a Share House at Organic

Adult Conversation During Pregnancy and After Birth

During pregnancy and after giving birth, being able to walk into the living room and talk with another adult made an enormous difference. Those everyday conversations helped Miki avoid feeling isolated or overwhelmed.

Staying Connected Across Different Schedules

Some housemates gather after Miki’s children are asleep. To stay connected with people whose schedules differ from hers, she leaves food to share, organizes meals, and looks for small opportunities to interact.

Before moving in, she worried that having children might inconvenience others. Instead, helping her daughter build relationships with the housemates made the whole home more comfortable.

A Home That Opens to the Neighborhood

Organic hosts a monthly market with lunch, sweets, drinks, vegetables, and picture-book readings. The house has also hosted an English conversation café and talks connected to Miki’s work in prenatal-memory education.

Why the Environment Helps Her Family

At first, raising children in a share house felt unknown. Now Miki finds it difficult to imagine returning to an isolated nuclear-family lifestyle. A short conversation about music or something that happened that day can completely refresh her mood.

When her older daughter felt jealous after the baby was born, even half an hour watching a children’s program with a housemate gave both mother and child room to breathe.

Miki values that her children are surrounded by trustworthy adults. As they grow, they may sometimes speak to a housemate about something they cannot tell their parents. That wider circle of trust is reassuring.

Interviewed by Kuboken, a resident of Arch.

Continue to Part 2: how housemates supported childbirth and family life

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