'Renting gives my family something homeowners don't have'

Caitlyn once felt "shame" for being parent who is a renter, then a rejection changed her mind.

Does owning a house truly define a home? 

For North Queensland mum Caitlyn Page, it’s a question she’s found herself fretting over. 

The mum of three has opened up about the "shame" she’s harboured for raising her children in a rental property. 

“I just think renters are looked at different, kind of like you haven’t made it in life,” she told Kidspot.

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"Shame around not owning a home" 

The societal expectation of home ownership has only felt more of a burden since becoming a parent. 

“It's that you now have this huge responsibility to provide a consistent lifestyle for your children and sometimes renting is hard, because you may have to move,” Caitlyn explains.

In a recent TikTok, she spoke candidly of the pressures, stating, “I just feel like there’s a lot of shame around not owning a home and there’s a lot of pressure on people to do it." 

As the mum was filming her clip, she received bad news: they now need to relocate over the coming months.

“Part of our situation is we were gonna try and buy the house that we were living in, but we just didn’t. It hasn't happened how it was meant to happen,” she explained through tears. 

A sweet text from her husband made her realise perhaps there could be a silver lining.

“He literally just messaged me. He’s like we may not have anywhere to live, but at least we have each other." 

Caitlyn now accepts there are strong benefits to renting.

“We have a little more freedom to do as we please.  

“The kids are still at an age where it’s exciting to move and be in a different environment. I've realised that as long as you can provide a happy and healthy home it doesn’t matter whether you own or rent!” 

Image: Supplied

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"Not all it's cracked up to be" 

Commenters on Caitlyn's post agreed that there’s plenty of rental benefits.  

“We sold six months ago and are honestly thriving back being renters! That shame around not being owners is REAL, but as someone who's been there it's not all it's cracked up to be,” read one comment. 

“I am almost 34, with five kids, and constantly trying to convince myself we will never own a home in this economy. You’re not alone,” another shared. 

“Owning isn’t the answer for everyone. I’m a broker without a mortgage and living my best life,” a third added.  

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However, Caitlyn refuses to give up on the great Australian dream entirely. 

“I think as they get older they would prefer to be in one location and have security,” she said. 

"I just want my children to be able to say that we own our home and be in the same location to more or less say 'that’s where we grew up'. 

“The response to my video made me feel at ease with my current situation, there were so many people in the same boat in which I didn’t realise,” she said. '

Originally published as 'Renting gives my family something homeowners don't have'