Does anybody live close to or with other relatives?

[BertaSwede]

Does anybody live close to or with other relatives in the family? i think this is not so an American thing, like in Europe, and as we do. i notice here in the states, every house is a seperate one. i have always had many in the family, and now here, same, which is why we come here for husband’s business but we live with, or along side several of husband’s family in houses all together, with family property. it is interesting for sure. but is it common?

 

[Karin]

Nope not common…at least here on the East Coast.
The best you can get is living a few houses apart…my mom is just around the corner from us though .
Also is Europe,from what I have seen (Germany and Austria) most family do not live with each other either…unless your living on a farm that is. But most of my family that is in Germany and Austria all live in the same town…just not next to or with each other…except for my Uncle and his family they live on a farm (working)

 

[leonie]

I grew up with my Grandma. She still lives with my parents. My 19 year old nephew lives with my parents. My sister, two kids and step daughter and her husband live adjacent to my parents.

I live next door to my BIL and his family. On the other side, my SIL lives with her family. And next to my SIL lives my parents in law.

I loved growing up with my grandma. And, for the most part living in close proximity with my in laws has been very good. They are very loving and helpful people. My kids spend lots of time with my FIL working in the garden, helping with the livestock, visiting with Nana in the her kitchen.

Occasionally, they have a unkind words to say about me leading their son/brother into this crazy lifestyle of a large family and homeschooling. Then, it is bad. In fact, it is getting worse with each child we have. Last time, my MIL told my husband that I was a horrible and neglectful mother because I let my kids wander around in the field behind us (belongs to my FIL).

When that stuff comes up, I wish I lived a hundred miles away. In fact, we’ve discussed that if we have another child, we will move before we tell them.

 

[BertaSwede]

I grew up with my Grandma. She still lives with my parents. My 19 year old nephew lives with my parents. My sister, two kids and step daughter and her husband live adjacent to my parents.
I live next door to my BIL and his family. On the other side, my SIL lives with her family. And next to my SIL lives my parents in law.
I loved growing up with my grandma. And, for the most part living in close proximity with my in laws has been very good. They are very loving and helpful people. My kids spend lots of time with my FIL working in the garden, helping with the livestock, visiting with Nana in the her kitchen.
Occasionally, they have a unkind words to say about me leading their son/brother into this crazy lifestyle of a large family and homeschooling. Then, it is bad. In fact, it is getting worse with each child we have. Last time, my MIL told my husband that I was a horrible and neglectful mother because I let my kids wander around in the field behind us (belongs to my FIL).
When that stuff comes up, I wish I lived a hundred miles away. In fact, we’ve discussed that if we have another child, we will move before we tell them.

i hear you. and i do know this as well. Try to be thankful for them though. along with all the good, comes sometimes the bad. it is very hard, i do know this. i was forced to move here from my homeland, for my husband’s family business. and i do find the same as you. It was one of my cousins who told me about this place, which i am grateful for as most in my family are, how do you say, wishy and washy Catholics or other religions. i find it is very hard living next door to the family. and i can understand your feelings when you say how you want to move away when you have one more baby. it is good to share with you.

 

[KCT]

After my dad died, we sold our townhouse, bought a split and converted the lower level into an apartment for my mom. She has her own entrance, full kitchen etc. So far it’s working out well.
—KCT

 

[LSK]

My Mom and I share a home and have since I was widowed many years ago. She and I are in close proximity to my brother and she does the child care for his three kids. It is a loud, whacky, wonderful and goofy household and suits us to a TEE…:whacky:

 

[catsrus]

My grandma (my mother’s mother) moved in with us when I was 4.
I loved her very, very much.
Unfortunately, she and my dad did not get along and there was A LOT of tension.
Now, my youngest son lives with me. That works out okay.

 

[LighthouseRon]

My wife and I live with my mother and have done so for all of our 10 year marriage. The situation is Mom owns 20 acres and is up in years and there is no way she could take care of it herself, so after dad died 12 years ago I stayed to help. I was dating my wife then and when we decided to marry, one of the things we discussed was we needed to look after mom as she wanted to stay on the land her and dad made home for so many years. Because of zoning laws, only one house is allowed so I bought a large manufactured home and we all live under one roof. It sure isn’t easy but we all realize it is for the best to get along. If I had to do it all over again I don’t know if I would do it again. It’s tough to have “alone time” with your wife when mom lives with you.

 

[kim3260]

We all live here in Mc Minn County TN. I live in the city limits of Athens in a nice older home, my parents live on their farm out in the County, my brother lives on a ranch home with his family on the same farm, and my sister lives in the county in one of them pre-fabs with her family.
We all live within 5 miles of each other. One Tradition I love is we all go to Mass together then after Mass we all go to Mama’s for breakfast, only now me, my sister, sister-in-law and nieces all prepare breakfast and clean up the house for mama, it her time to rest.
Then spend the afternoon enjoy the company of each other. Monday through Saturday we are all so busy that we don’t have time but Sunday we reconnect.

 

[THutch04]

The only family members I really live close to when I’m home are my grandparents on my mom’s side. Everyone else on my mom’s side is either in the upper part of the county or in New Jersey. They’re also the ones we haven’t had much desire to see either, for various reasons.

My dad’s side is originally from Pittsburgh, but now they’ve all moved to other parts of the country, so there’s no family members in the area anymore.

 

[Karin]

The only family members I really live close to when I’m home are my grandparents on my mom’s side. Everyone else on my mom’s side is either in the upper part of the county or in New Jersey. They’re also the ones we haven’t had much desire to see either, for various reasons.

My dad’s side is originally from Pittsburgh, but now they’ve all moved to other parts of the country, so there’s no family members in the area anymore.

Oh lovely …stick all the undesriable relatives in NJ just what us Garden Staters need.

 

[asquared]

Does anybody live close to or with other relatives in the family? i think this is not so an American thing, like in Europe, and as we do. i?

in America it depends more on your ethnic heritage and family customs. since our population is so diverse you cannot generalize, but it is true the longer a family lives in a America, often the further away they grow from their own language, customs and traditions, regarding family and everything else.

Hispanics generally have strong family ties, for instance, so it is quite common where I live for three generations to live in one household, and for most of the socializing etc. to be family based. It is quite hard for an outsider to establish close friendships because so many people have all their free time tied up with family commitments.

We have a large Filipino population and it seems to be the norm for grandmother to live with the family and care for the children. I also saw this pattern among Koreans when I lived in Cleveland. In Cleveland, for example, we have lots of two-family homes built by immigrants from Eastern Europe where mom and dad lived downstairs and newlyweds upstairs, or where grandparents had an apartment. In farming communities in the Midwest settled by Germans the custom was often to build a home for newlyweds or grandparents next to the main family farmhouse.