Single Mom Living With 5 Kids In One-Bedroom Apartment Shares Her Story To Show She Isn't 'Ashamed'

A single mother of five kids, who regularly shares her experience of living in a one-bedroom apartment on TikTok, revealed her decision to give up her only bedroom to her 11-year-old daughter in an as-told-to essay on Business Insider. Leticia Colorado's TikTok video, which she shared in November last year, has over 12.2 million views.

The Story of Leticia

Colorado lives in a one-bedroom apartment in Pittsburg, California. She has five kids ages 3, 4, 6, 11, and 17. She moved into the apartment in April, as this was the place she could afford while working as a driver for Lyft and DoorDash. She says that she doesn’t do normal work hours as she drives her kids to and from school.

Colorado explained that the decision to move in was a no-brainer as earlier she had experienced being homeless. Thus, when she moved out of the five-bedroom house of her ex-partner, she chose to have a roof over their head.

She added that she was embarrassed about her living situation before she uploaded the TikTok video. However, after a friend pushed her to upload the video, she decided to tell her story to the world.

“The video was my way of letting all my single moms know that if this is all you can afford, and your kids are happy and healthy, then don't let anyone make you feel less than. Just live your life,” Leticia says in the report.

Her video surprisingly got a lot of hate, from viewers who posted harsh comments like, "Call CPS," and saying, "Stop having kids," "Close your legs," and, "Have you ever heard of birth control?"

However, on the video, several others shared their own stories from across the world, as well. Leticia says the amount of love and support she got on the video allowed her to overlook the hate and stay motivated. She says, “There love in the comments I don't even need to clap back — everyone claps back for me”.

Here’s how living in a one-bedroom apartment feels like for the kids

Colorado says she gave the only bedroom to her daughter Se'Lia because she knew how much she yearned for it. She felt that the young girl needed to have a sense of privacy and a space to express who she was as an individual. She shared that when she told Se'Lia it would be her room, the girl was on cloud nine. “I wish I would've recorded it. I don't think I'd ever seen my daughter so happy,” she said.

While the room is hers, she technically shares it with her 17-year-old brother who comes home only on the weekends. She has a trundle bed, which has a second bed that can be pulled out and every other member of the family shares the closet in her room. Colorado along with her three youngest kids sleeps on a bed in the living room.

Colorado says that her kids love the living situation and calls it "the White House” because the apartments outside are white. She keeps the apartment organized and stores fewer items so that the kids have space to ride around their scooters and play with their toys.