Whether you have young adult children still trying to afford an apartment or older parents on a fixed income, multi-generational living is a normal occurrence for many Lewisville renters. In fact, the number of multi-generational households in the United States is on the rise. According to the Pew Research Center, one in five Americans currently live in multi-generational homes, a number that has increased sharply in the last few decades. While there are many advantages to different generations of family members sharing a home, a few challenges can make it stressful at times. To help keep things working well for everyone, here are a few helpful tips you can use now.
Communication is Key
Sharing a house allows you to spend more time together with your family. However, if left unaddressed, it can also result in little everyday annoyances that can breed resentment. Whether you’re living with parents, adult children, or both, it’s important to communicate often and clearly with each member of the household. It is recommended to avoid passive-aggressive “hints” or tactics – they are infrequently effective. Alternatively, have open and honest discussions about boundaries, personal habits, schedules, and anything else that will affect the entire family. It may be unsettling at first, but the more you communicate, the better off everyone will be in due course.
Define Responsibilities
While combining households can help everyone save money, it’s also necessary to discuss who’s responsible for the cost and work of keeping up the home with your family members. To make a multi-generational household work, it’s imperative to directly define who is responsible for what. In other words, everyone in the family should know who will pay for what and how much. A similar thing goes for cleaning and maintenance of the home. Each individual must have assigned responsibilities and tasks that help contribute to the smooth operation of the house. Use this list from AARP to be sure you’ve covered all the important topics. Everyday living will be a lot more fun for all family members when everyone has a properly defined role and set of responsibilities.
Protect Privacy
Living together in a home might struggle for everyone to have sufficient privacy and personal space. However, these aspects are a necessary part of long-term happiness. No matter what size your current living situation may be, it’s critical to do all you can to ensure that each family member has a way to create and enjoy a bit of private space. Even in shared rooms, you can hang curtains or use other dividers to provide greater privacy, if required. Make time to get out of the house and do activities you like if things start to feel too crowded. Ask your family members to do the same. A short time away might help to de-stress a tense situation.
Set Realistic Expectations
While you may love your parents and adult children, making a living together a pleasant experience for everyone will most likely take time and a lot of patience. Families can grow together if given the support and compassion each person wants. Try not to dwell on small irritations, and rather, celebrate the little victories and good things about having your family under one roof. You may gradually improve communication and peaceful coexistence in your multi-generational home, making it a comfortable place to live.
If your existing rental home is too small for your multi-generational family, this is the opportunity to trade up! View our listings online or visit Real Property Management Lakeview to learn more about what our professional Lewisville property managers have to give.
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.