Living with three generations of family sounds old-fashioned, but that's exactly what I like about it.
This report features an interview with Robin O'Neill ( Robyn O , 60 years old), a home-school liaison officer from Waterbury, Connecticut, conducted by based and on. The content has been edited to make it more concise and easier to read.
Before I found this ideal house at the beginning of 2021, I had been looking for at least Zillow for two years. Our real estate agent called it my “unicorn” because I am so picky, and it finally met our requirements.
Almost the entire living space of this house is on the same floor, with no stairs. I have undergone knee joint replacement surgery and also broken my hip, so moving around has become a bit difficult for me. Therefore, stairs pose a problem for me.
Moreover, this house is 3,300 square feet in size, which is large enough to accommodate many people living together comfortably.
I've always been thinking that in the future, the people from my husband Peter's family and my own family might move in to live with us for various reasons. I want a larger space so that everyone can have their own area.
We previously lived in a 1,600 square foot residence of the Cape style. If a few more people moved in, the house would definitely become extremely cramped. The bedrooms were also very close to each other.
In contrast, our new home offers better privacy: there are three bedrooms on the first floor, which are well-spaced from each other, and there are also two and a half bathrooms.
The laundry room, kitchen, large living room, music room with a grand piano, and sunroom are all on the same floor. The attic has also been renovated, containing a bedroom and a complete bathroom.
Finally, there's the basement, which runs throughout the entire house. One of the rooms in there has already been renovated, and we even took measures to insulate it for soundproofing.
That's the ideal location for my husband's music studio; he's 75 years old and a composer who can play the piano and guitar. When he practices, not a sound is heard outside at all.
Peter and I moved in in March 2021 – and before long, the house started to be fully occupied by people.
Our adult son also lives with us.
My father, Richard ( Richard, 79 years old), suffers from Parkinson's disease. He originally lived with my brother, but later his condition worsened. He stayed in a nursing home for a while and moved to live with us around 2022.
That's quite reasonable, as he requires a lot of care, and that responsibility is shared by me and several professional caregivers. The transition process went smoothly, and knowing that we are all there for each other in case of any emergency gives us a greater sense of peace of mind.
Our son, also named Peter ( Peter, 28 years old), is a documentary producer and journalist who originally lived in a rented apartment in a nearby town. However, after traveling around Europe and Africa for some time, he moved back home about two years ago.
This allowed him to save some money when his career was just starting out, and it also gave him a greater sense of stability. If his friends came over to his house, they would usually stay together in the room upstairs.
The last one to move in was my sister-in-law Rita ( Rita, 77 years old). She was recovering from a stroke at that time. She moved in earlier this month, partly because her son was moving to another state. Obviously, we welcomed her with open arms.
We are a very close-knit family, and the lifestyle of having multiple generations living under one roof works very well for us.
We want to grow old together here slowly.
One of the most wonderful things is to watch my son get along with his grandfather and aunt. My father used to be a pilot and was also a person who loved adventure. He always has some stories that are still fresh to us.
Peter, Rita, Richard, and I all plan to retire here. We won't go anywhere else. My mother lives just a few minutes' drive away and often comes to visit us. The same goes for our 37-year-old daughter.
Some people want their own independent space that belongs solely to them, and of course, that's no problem at all. But we prefer to return to a way of life from even earlier times, like before my grandparents passed away.
Back then, we all lived together, with brothers, uncles, and other family members around us. I hope to continue that healthy and inclusive way of living.
