Whether you have young adult children still trying to afford an apartment or older parents on a fixed income, multi-generational living is a conventional situation for many Olympia renters. Actually, the number of multi-generational households in the United States is on the increase. According to the Pew Research Center, one in five Americans currently live in multi-generational homes, a number that has jumped significantly in the last few decades. While there are several advantages to different generations of family members sharing a home, a few challenges can make it stressful periodically. To help keep things working well for everyone, here are several essential tips you can apply immediately.
Communication is Key
Sharing a house enables you to spend more time together with your family. However, if it remains uncontrolled, it can also lead to little everyday annoyances that can breed resentment. Notwithstanding if you’re living with parents, adult children, or both, it’s important to communicate frequently and effectively with each member of the household. It is wise to avoid passive-aggressive “hints” or tactics – they are infrequently beneficial. Rather, have honest and transparent discussions about boundaries, personal habits, schedules, and anything else that will affect the entire family. It may be unpleasant initially, but the more you communicate, the better off everyone will be in due time.
Define Responsibilities
While combining households can help everyone save money, it’s still significant 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, you must clearly define who is responsible for what. As an instance, everyone in the family should know who will pay for what and how much. The same idea applies to cleaning and maintenance of the home. Everyone should have assigned responsibilities and tasks that help contribute to the successful running of the house. Utilize this list from AARP to guarantee that you’ve covered all the important topics. A daily living will be a lot more pleasurable for all family members when everyone has a clearly defined role and set of responsibilities.
Protect Privacy
Living together in a house could be difficult for others to have enough privacy and personal space. However, these elements are a crucial part of long-term happiness. It doesn’t matter what size your current living situation may be; you have to do all you can to guarantee 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 give enough privacy, if needed. Find time to get out of the house and do hobbies you enjoy if things begin to feel too crowded. Talk to your family members to do the same. A little time away might help to chill out a tense situation.
Set Realistic Expectations
Even though you may love your parents and adult children, making a living together with a pleasant experience for everybody will probably take time and a lot of patience. Families can grow together if given the support and compassion each person desires. It is important to not dwell on small irritations and appreciate the little victories and good things about having your family under one roof. You may progressively promote communication and peaceful coexistence in your multi-generational home, making it an excellent place to live.
If your current rental home is too small for your multi-generational family, now is the chance to trade up! Check out our listings online or contact Real Property Management Imagine to discover more about what our professional Olympia property managers have to bring.
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.
