4 mothers live under one roof with their children. Although this arrangement was unique, it was beneficial for them and their children. Additionally, they are all single and have the best times of their lives. In 2022, 2 best friends who were divorced planned to move in together, but that only started as a joke. However, they decided to push through with their plans, bought a house in Maryland, and immediately moved in with their children. Not only did they finally have a stable place to stay, but they also experienced unexpected and wonderful results after a few weeks.
News website TODAY reported that best friends and single mothers Holly Harper and Herrin Hopper joked about buying a house and living with their children while allowing their husbands to visit once in a while. Holly admitted she was having difficulty adjusting to the changes in her life since the divorce. She was turning 40, and worse, her father passed away in early 2020.
“Holly and I said, ‘Why not do this?’” Herrin said. “Within a weekend, we found this house.”
“Just like my life was burned to the ground,” Holly shared. “I could turn to Herrin and say, ‘I literally have nothing left. Let’s just do this.’”
Once they had moved with their children into their new house in Maryland, a single-family home built in 1927, they decided to offer the basement for rent. Another single mother, Leandra, moved in. Later, Holly and Herrin’s friend, Jen, joined them. Finally, their house was complete.
The 4 mothers managed to organize their home by meeting regularly and discussing issues such as house repairs and yard work expenses, usually over a glass of champagne. They even decided to call their house the “Siren House.”
“Siren is a form of sort of feminist power, right?” Herrin said. “We’re building a community. We sort of have the siren song, so we bring people together.”
After completing renovations, the house not only became a safe haven for the women as they settled down, but the place also became beneficial to their children since they had other kids to play with and a big backyard they could run around in. Additionally, there are bookshelves and toys in the bedroom, and there is also an open library in the community. In their storage room, there are a variety of entertainment facilities. They have machines for making marshmallows, waffles, and ice cream.
“There’s always someone to play a game with,” Holly said. “It’s just the most fun.”
At the same time, the woman can come and go freely, since there is always someone in the house to look after the children. “There is almost a spiritual safety net every day here,” Herrin said. “I could be my worst self, I could be my best self, and they see me for who I am, and it’s OK.”
The children are getting along and feel that they are cousins, which makes living together very beautiful and beneficial on so many levels. The women have brought people closer to one another, and they are planning to expand the concept of co-housing arrangements to other single mothers out there. After all, living in the same house with your best friends is a rare experience… and the happiest.
▼ Here is a video of how the 4 mothers manage their unique living situation:
Screenshot images and Video credits: © TODAY/YouTube
