Changing lifestyle with an extended familySubscribe

  Team Orom 2023-03-08 4 Min

               

Extending family means a family beyond a nuclear family, a pair of couples with their children living with their grandparents, uncles and aunts under one roof. Living in an extended family is quite common in India, but now that people are evolving, some young couples opt to stay in different apartments than their parent's houses.

When you are about to enter an extended family, especially after marriage, you must know that some things in your life might change slightly. You have to make every decision of your life considering your family, from buying food to going on trips and paying bills. Before marriage, ask your partner how many family members are in their family and their behaviors. Before marriage, checking your partner's family background is vital. Today, some people are leaning towards the decision to live with an extended family and some are opting for private space.

However, there are countless pros and cons of living with an extended family and living alone.

Some advantages of living with an extended family are, providing care for sickly family members, financial assistance and child care. Whatever decision you make, either to live separately or live in an extended family, you must ensure your child gets to bond with their grandparents. It is mesmerizing to see children play kitchen-kitchen with their 70-year-old grandparents. Witnessing how two generations unite makes the scenario beautiful and joyful. But if you wish to live with an extended family, be prepared to see massive changes in your lifestyle.

To live with an extended family, you must understand that communication and comprehension are the keys. Before things get complicated, it's better to sort them out. Every relationship goes through thick and thin circumstances; one must handle it patiently. It is bittersweet living in an extended family. You can share your heart with your family, from your mental stress & worries to bliss & success.

Things you have to take into account while living with an extending family -

1) Privacy - Respecting each other's privacy can help create a foundation of trust. For instance - Knock on the door when you are about to enter someone's room, don't invade others' privacy, that's why ask your family when you wish you bring someone over, etc.

2) Share your lifestyle - It's natural that when you live with someone, you tend to adopt each other's traits. Adopt good traits from your family members. If you have children make sure to teach them how to respect every member of the family. Different generations living in one room can go haywire as there will be opinions and parenting differences. Lend a helping hand when any family member seeks help. If someone in the family falls sick, take care of them, these are some things you can do to create a healthy family environment with no envy and only love.

3) Communication - Good communication is the key to solving all complicated problems. If you don't like somebody's behavior, it's better to express your raw emotions than bottle up and hold a grudge.

4) Finance - It's obvious when so many people live under one roof, there will be larger bills. It's better to speak to the family member about how you can contribute and help to avoid a hefty financial load on one person. You can choose one category that you will be in charge of. For instance - If somebody else is responsible for paying electricity bills, you can take charge of water bills. You can also discuss various types of bank investments.

We hope this article was helpful to you. To read more such articles, read our other blogs.