We moved in with my best friend to raise our children together

These best friends really are going through their life’s ups and downs together.

Drisana Parker, 26, from Tauranga, moved in with her best friend Jade Paul along with both partners Levi, 26 and Maihi, 25, and the families are raising their kids together, Shai, one, and River, eight months.

Being stay-at-home mums, Drisana and Jade raise their kids like they’re siblings, and claim living together is like having a sleepover every night with your best friend.

Due to the prices of homes skyrocketing, the best friends decided living together was the most cost-effective option and it’s worked out for both couples extremely well.

Drisana explains: ‘We both have partners, we’re both raising kids at the same time and as mortgage rates and renting is so expensive, we moved in together, which has made it all a lot cheaper. It’s worked out so well because it really does take a village to raise kids.

‘It’s great Shai and River are being raised as siblings, and now River is a bit older, they get on so well. Shai asks ‘where’s baba’ so they’re growing up to be best friends.

‘Also, if either of us need to go out or if something comes up last minute, there’s always someone there to look after the kids.

‘It’s like having a sleepover with your best friend, watching television together for example.

Shai, left, and River, in the cot, are only four months apart and are being raised almost as siblings 

Drisana revealed she turned to Jade for advice during her own pregnancy with River, as her friend already had Shai, right

‘After I had River, Jade had already had baby, so I could ask her all of these questions and asking if things were normal or not it was so handy.

‘Being a stay at home mum can be so lonely, but I was lucky because Jade was here so I always had someone to lean on. I never felt lonely or isolated which I hear other mums talk about.

‘We all hang out every day, we bath the kids and put them to bed together, we take turn cooking and have dinner together and we watch tv together and sometimes have a drink together.

The two children are being raised by both their mothers, who are on maternity leave, and have a shared nursery

Shai giving River a hug and Jade with both children on her knees. She said being a stay-at-home mother could be lonely, and that she is happy she can count on the company of her best-friend 

‘It is a three bedroom house with two bathrooms and the kids have a shared nursery so there is plenty of room.

‘We all moved in together when Shai was two weeks old. Our partners live here as well but they do their own thing and we’re both on maternity leave. I am a radiographer and Jade is a café manager.

‘To be honest we’re surprised this has lasted so long, I thought myself and Levi would just be here, we just thought we would see how it goes and everything has gone so well that I think all of us are surprised its working so well, especially with having the kids together.

The idea of Drisana and Jade living together happened over a discussion over a dinner. Something the couples never thought would actually happen.

Drisana enjoying some quality time with her daughter River, who was born last year and is being raised by her mother and her friends 

Shai and River playing together at home. Drisana revealed the idea of moving in together started out as a joke, but soon took action 

Drisana adds: ‘We were having dinner with some friends and were talking about it and joking that we needed people to move in as we had just bought a house and it was expensive.

‘We originally thought just to have one of our friends, and then Jade asked if we would let her and Maihi move in, which we thought would be amazing, and then a few months later after it had died down she brought it up again whilst she was pregnant, and told us she was serious about moving in.

‘Our friends think it’s cool and they all come over to us as that’s where the babies are so it’s easy to visit us all together.

‘Other friends were worried as they said you shouldn’t live with friends, and even my mum was worried there would be arguments and things go wrong, but we’ve been friends since we were 13 and we’ve never had an argument, so if we were to disagree, we’re both who just sort it out there and then.

‘I would definitely recommend others to go for it, but you have to have to make sure you have a good friendship to be able to do it.

‘You have to be able to tell them if you’re annoyed, but especially as were all young, I think it’s great and so much fun.

‘We’re also all still able to save some money as we only have one kid each, but I think if we we’re to have more, it would be different but at the moment it’s the best thing we’ve ever done. It’s set us all up for the future and made our lives easier as we can also stay at home a little longer than what we would have if we didn’t live together because we can afford to.

‘It’s given me and Jade the opportunity to be a stay at home mums as we didn’t want to miss out on their first years, and financially we’ve been able to do this.’

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