Mom Of 3 Sparks Debate After Questioning Whether She Should Move In With Her Ex-Husband To Help Raise Their Kids
"My ex-husband and his wife just invited me to move into their house with them."
@katiekatekatelynn / TikTok A mom of three sparked a debate after admitting that she is thinking about potentially moving in with her ex-husband and his wife after they suggestion the option.
In a TikTok video, 33-year-old Katie Mathis, an influencer and photographer, stressed that she wasn't sure about taking the plunge for obvious reasons, but claimed that there were also some benefits to living so close to them.
She's questioning her ex-husband and his wife's invitation for her and her kids to live with them.
"My ex-husband and his wife just invited me to move into their house with them," Katie began in her video. The mom of three is referring to Evan Mathis, a former NFL player whom she divorced in 2018, along with his current wife, Katelynn Mathis.
She explained that she technically wouldn't be living under the same roof as them, as they have a detached apartment on the side of their house which would become hers, along with the fact that she also bought the house with her ex-husband while they were married.
Still, it's not an easy decision to make, which Katie pointed out. "Do I move in with them and help raise the children full-time?" she questioned. "So that we can actually have our babies with us all of the time."
She acknowledged that co-parenting with her ex-husband when they both live in separate homes is tough, especially since they have a plethora of things they have to carry between both homes.
In the comments section, people were evenly divided on whether they agreed that this was a good idea, especially for Katie and her ex-husband's children, while others issued warnings that it could easily be a recipe for disaster.
"As a child of divorced parents with constant moving back and forth this would have been amazing!" one TikTok user wrote, while another user agreed, adding, "Definitely do it. Since you all get along it would be so amazing and stable for the kids. I’m a child of divorce and I WISH my parents were like this."
However, others weren't as enthused. "Absolutely not - too many conflicts of interest and room for issues to pop up - finances, emotions, etc.," a third user chimed in.
Katie shared the pros and cons list she came up with to decide whether or not to move in.
In a follow-up video, Katie went through some of the pros and cons that she had come up with after being invited to move in with her ex-husband and his wife.
The first con, which Katie pointed out was pretty self-explanatory, was the fact that she would once again be living with her ex-husband, which could be damaging if not handled correctly. Another con was her not being able to have any individual space to raise her children without the constant input of her ex-husband and his wife.
"Con number 3, moving sucks," Katie said. "I live in a 28-square-foot house right now and I'm sizing down to a one-bedroom in a studio."
She acknowledged that her cons list was rather short compared to her pros list, which mainly consisted of the points that she'll be able to rent out her old house and make money through that and that her kids will be able to have everything in one place and she won't have to worry about moving things between her house and her ex-husband's house.
It seems Katie's pros and cons list worked as she quickly announced to her followers that she had decided to move in with her ex-husband and his wife. In an interview with Insider, Katie explained that it was the idea of her three kids having a consistent environment that ended up convincing her, as well as the fact that she has a healthy relationship with both her ex and his wife.
"It's better to do this together," she explained, adding that her partner of a year and a half is also supportive of her decision. She told the publication that to avoid any issues of conflict between the three of them, they created a "binder" to outline all of the logistics of their arrangement.
It can be extremely hard to navigate having a blended family.
While some people may disagree with Katie's overall choice, it definitely shows an unwavering and selfless commitment to be able to put her kids first and above any personal discomforts or societal expectations.
Co-parenting after divorce is a complex and challenging feat, and what one person chooses to alleviate that stress shouldn't be criticized. Each person's decision is their own, and no one knows what will be best other than the people involved.
Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences.