Single-parent cohabitation: “It allows my son to have a diversity of opinions, ways of living and boundaries”
While one in four French families is single-parent, new ways of living are emerging to encourage mutual support. These initiatives are still unique because they require a significant budget and lack adequate structures.
Like in L'Auberge espagnole, Mathilde and Elise each have their own designated shelves in the refrigerator . Except that Mathilde and Elise aren't students in Barcelona: the two friends have been living in a shared apartment in the 19th arrondissement of Paris for five years with their respective children. Tadzio, 18, is the son of Elise, 49, a research director at the CNRS. Joane, 7, is the daughter of Mathilde, 47, who heads a team of specialized educators who work with foreign minors. In addition to the four inhabitants of this duplex with a terrace, nicknamed "la comère," there are often the two women's lovers and Tadzio's cat.
Besides the shared kitchen and living room, each family has its own space: a bathroom and two bedrooms for Elise and her son on the first floor, and, upstairs, a large room divided in two by bookcases and another bathroom for Mathilde and Joane. Mathilde was the first to rent this apartment, with Martin and Benjamin, the couple of friends with whom she had Joane, as co-parents.
Libération
