Nina Chen, Ph.D., CFLE, Human Development Specialist, University of Missouri Extension
According to the Pew Research Center, 49 million people live in multigenerational families in the U.S. Many include adult children in their 20s. The trend to bring extended families together in one home is heavily influenced by factors like the struggling economy, a tough job market, the housing crunch, increased immigrants, parents returning to school, saving money for a home, inability to afford child care or preferring to have grandparents care for grandchildren, elderly parents needing care, and widows or widowers unable to live alone. Other factors include the increase in marital instability, the breakup of nuclear families and the remarriage of parents. Grandparents and step-grandparents are also becoming more important.
Living in a multigenerational family has numerous rewards for all generations… However, multigenerational living also has its ups and downs. Moving into a new household can be challenging and everyone involved needs time to make adjustments…
To learn more about the many benefits of multigenerational living, as well as important suggestions for making this arrangement work for the whole family, see the full version of this article at http://missourifamilies.org/
