The TV show The Walton’s was based upon a real family surviving the depression. They all decided to live together in a large home. They pooled resources to survive and prosper.

My family has done the same. There are 4 generations living in our 2460 sq. ft. home in Portland, Oregon. My 83 year old mother, who can not live on her own, moved in with us three years ago. With dementia, there a whole set of interesting issues. For the most part, she mainly stays in her room and watches TV. If anything goes wrong, it’s my fault.

Our son-in-law lost his job last year and decided to return to college. So He, our Daughter and Granddaughter moved into the basement. We remodeled an area for our Granddaughter so they all their own space.

All in all, it works out rather well. We get to see our Granddaughter every day. We are able to give our daughter and son-in-law some relief in the challenges of child rearing. My daughter prepares most meals and my son-in-law is the chief dishwasher. The kids pay what they can during this time. It’s about helping each other.

What makes it work is the ability for all of us to have our own space. It simply would not work for us in a smaller house. Yes, there have been some conflicts, but we talk and it gets resolve. We recognize and respect our daughter ans son-in-law as setting rules for our granddaughter. We still have the privilidge of sending her back to her parents when we are full of ,”grandbabby time.”

Ken Bear Cole

Fishing with Bear LLC