The average home in America has doubled in size from the 1950s and whereas it was routine back in the day, for a home just to have one full bathroom, or for your children to share a bedroom, it is quite common for even the smallest houses of today, to have at least two bathrooms, and a separate room for each child. The strangest thing is that in 1960 the average household consisted of 3.33 members whereas in 2014 it had been reduced to 2.54 members per household, so one can only assume that the increase in square footage, bedrooms, bathrooms, are because of man's increased desire to have more space, and more privacy.
While there is something to be said for having more space, more privacy, and for striking out on your own, especially if the situation pretty much warrants a separation from blood family ties for reasons that may be quite legitimate and understandable, there is also something to be said for maintaining those connections, because your quality and the substance of your life will often be better for having done so. Although it is probably a reflection of an economy that does not seem to have enough good paying jobs to spread around, there has been an increase in America of multigenerational households in America over recent years, so that according to slate.com there are now "56.8 million" people living in multigenerational households for one reason or another.
While there are obviously downsides to have multigenerational people living together under the same roof, such as the lack of privacy, lack of people just minding their own business, lack of space, sharing, meddling, elder care, or nursery/babysitting obligations, and so forth, there are also enormous benefits that typically far outweigh the disadvantages. For instance, the monetary savings for living together are substantial, as housing costs are the number one expense for any family, so through the sharing of these expenses, everybody benefits. Also, there is less of a need for daycare, extra automobiles, outside tutoring or mentoring, and there is much more of opportunity to learn and respect the wisdom of elders, the joys of seeing a baby take in the world for the first time, and the fact that often there is somebody that will listen to or be a shoulder for you on those difficult days.
So often we hear about peace on earth, and goodwill for all, but if we are unable to have peace within our homes, and to spread goodwill amongst those that we care and love for the most, how can it be possible that peace on earth can ever come about? To a large extent, multigenerational housing is an opportunity to understand the meaning of words such as: compromise, sharing, selflessness, caring, love, and to recognize that each of us will invariably have their own exit that follows from their own entrance, to which multigenerational living will afford us the opportunity to remind us of this salient fact.
In a vibrant multigenerational household, when we look into the eyes of our fellow housemates, we should see the reflection of ourselves, and therefore be able to say, this too is me.