I’m starting the season with a 5-week series of articles about the lifestyle demands of living in a multi-generational home.
From navigating through the subject of personal space and boundaries to finding common ground with your beloved sibling, cousin, grandparents, or older parents.
I’ll weave together my personal experience with tips on how to make it work for you.
I’ll dish out the good, the bad, and the hilarious.
What does a multi-generational household mean?
A multi-generational household is also called an extended family home, a blended family home, a multi-age household, or the more sophisticated term – an intergenerational home.
In other words, if your house has 3 or more generations under its roof, yep, the grandchildren, the parents of the grandchildren, and the parents of the parents of the grandchildren, then you’re in a multi-generational home.
And when you’re in this household, it could feel a little crowded. There are one too many generations under your roof.
So how do you embrace this trending living arrangement after the great recession (think 2008), and definitely after we’ve gone through the pandemic era?
About this Multi-Generational Home Series.
Who it’s for:
- for the ones who are on the fence because they have aging parents that need care and attention.
- for the ones who have adult kids who need to move back in.
- for the ones who need to save money for something better.
- all of the above.
If you’re currently living in this type of household, or just curious about the lifestyle, I invite you to follow this series as we explore the ups and downs of having multiple generations under one roof.
I will also get into the details of preparing your home to become a multi-generational household, creating a shared living area, and finding a suitable home layout.
And then there’s the topic of food too.
Should you lock your fruit loops cereal in a drawer and hide away the key?
Whether it’s to prank your innocent little nephew, or you have a “Joey-like personality” (from the Friends TV show – “Joey doesn’t share food!”), your ludicrous behavior will not go unnoticed in this series.
On a serious note, you might have your older parents under the roof, and you worry about the food you cook at home.
Is the dinner you just served healthy enough for them?
Or maybe your concern is about their ability to safely move around the house.
Don’t worry, I got you. I’ll cover the topic for you even if my series turns epic long if that’s what it takes.
Why the need to talk about multi-generational living, you ask?
It’s a growing trend in the US. We have a population of nearly 332 million (as of 2021) and the number of people moving into multi-generational households is rising exponentially.
– Pew Research Center, Survey
There were only a little over 10 million in 1971. 30 years later, by March 2021, the number is already at 60 million. That’s 18% of the US population.
According to the survey, the number has been rising since 2001 even before the pandemic hit.
It’s an interesting and relevant issue to take on.
I hope this series will be helpful to you even if you’re not in this type of living arrangement yet. One day, it’s possible you might find yourself in this situation.
And for various reasons, which I will also cover in the series.
And here’s the kicker, how do you bring home a date when there are 3 generations of folks in your home with differing values carried on from during their time? It’s a little tricky, embarrassingly risky, and bordering on comical.
Sharing a home with people of different age levels with varying needs can be very challenging.
On the flip side, it can also be rewarding. Think about the range of life hacks and wisdom you get to see and learn on a daily basis.
So,
if you’re new here, please check out my About page to give you a sense of what my blog is all about. If you have a question, a topic request, or you want to contribute your story, I’d be very happy to chat with you. Please visit my Contact page and send me a message.
As for me, I will walk to my coffee nook now, brew a cup, and then start writing the first article for this series.
Don’t forget to subscribe.
And follow this series, delivered to your inbox.
Maybe the caffeine will give me a swift adrenaline rush to be able to finish several pages of printable checklists that you can use in your multi-generational home life. It’s a good thing to subscribe now. I promise not to spam your inbox.
Thanks for reading.
Talk soon!
