Dear Carolyn: In my family, it’s customary to live in multigenerational housing. A few years ago, my sister and I really wanted to get into a top school district, but we couldn’t afford a home individually. We ended up pooling resources between my sister and her husband, me and my husband, and our mother. We purchased a 4,000-square-foot house and we all live here together, five adults and five kids. We love it, there is enough space for everybody, and child care is a breeze because somebody is always around.
The problem is that the older kids are getting into junior high and are being teased a lot for this living arrangement. Our neighbors and co-workers make snide comments about it, too. I really don’t know how to handle these, what do you suggest?
— Multigenerational
