A single, 25-year-old mom living in a 325-square-foot tiny house shares what it's like to date in such a small space

• Alexis Monkhouse and her 2-year-old daughter live in a 325-square-foot tiny house.
• While Monkhouse loves her decision to live tiny, she said dating can be a challenge.
• She told Insider there's no privacy and some men are too tall to even fit inside her home.

Alexis Monkhouse knew there would be sacrifices and gains with moving into a tiny house, but one she hadn't considered was potential boyfriends physically not fitting into her home.

Three years ago, Monkhouse moved into a tiny house that's about 325 square feet, which she purchased for $75,000. Recently, she started seeing a man who's 6-foot-6.

"I've done the measurements," the 25-year-old told Insider. "He literally can't fit."

With two lofts, the majority of her house's ceilings are only 6-foot-5, meaning her date would have to crouch if he tried cooking in the kitchen or standing in the living room.

Between a lack of privacy and the small space, Monkhouse shared some of the challenges with dating as a single mother in a tiny house.

There's zero privacy

One of Monkhouse's biggest challenges is the lack of privacy.

Monkhouse has a 2-year-old daughter Nalini "Boss" Monkhouse-Ruiz. So if her daughter is home, it means no man is coming over, Monkhouse said.

She said there are a few reasons for this rule: because their home is a sanctuary and safe space, because Nalini and Monkhouse currently share a bed, and also because there's just not enough space.

The open-layout tiny house has a downstairs area with a kitchen, bathroom, and living room. Upstairs are two lofts: One functions as a bedroom and the other is storage space.

If Monkhouse were to invite a date over, there's no place they could have some privacy if Nalini is home.

Monkhouse's ex's family typically has Nalini for a few days each week, which gives Monkhouse time for herself and time to date.

But even when there isn't a child present, she said she still faces other personal obstacles to dating.

There are toys everywhere

Monkhouse told Insider that it's been challenging to separate her identity as a mother and a woman while living tiny.

"When I'm on dates, I want to be seen as a woman," she said.

But when you step into her 325-square-foot home, there's no ignoring the fact that a child lives there. Toys flood the living room, stuffed animals scatter the floors, and crayon markings cover the walls.

Monkhouse isn't hiding her role as a mother, but she did say it'd be nice to be able to bring someone over without there being glaring reminders that she's currently potty training a 2-year-old.

Lofted beds and a short ceiling create physical obstacles

Monkhouse didn't think twice about the height of her tiny house when she designed it in 2018.

At 5 -foot-2, she said she's tiny herself, so she knew a tiny house would work for her.

But what she hadn't considered was potential partners' heights. Monkhouse said both tall friends and tall dates often feel cramped in her home, which has ceilings that are 6-foot-5-inches tall.

Additionally, a lofted bed even closer to the roof adds an extra layer of complications.

"Intimacy in a loft is not comfortable. Ever," she told Insider.

These two physical barriers mean the burden is on Monkhouse to travel to both friends and dates.

She told Insider she doesn't mind too much, but that it can be frustrating not being able to host celebrations or welcome people into the space she's crafted.

"It's my home, I want to show them this part of me, but you can't," she said.

At the end of the day, Monkhouse loves being a single mother in a tiny home

While Monkhouse's social and romantic life is complicated by her tiny house, she has no regrets about her decision to live tiny.

At the end of the day, Monkhouse's top priority is Nalini, and the tiny house has been able to provide for both of them.

It's given Monkhouse financial freedom, and it's a place where her daughter will learn to love nature.

"Going tiny was the best decision ever," she said. "I love being a single mother in a tiny house."