The fridge is full, but no one can find their food. Arguments about the thermostat feel like a UN summit. Holidays require a seating chart that looks like a military operation. The bathroom schedule is tighter than a NASA launch. The phrase “back in my day” is muttered at least twice before breakfast. Wi-Fi crashes when all three generations are “just checking email.” The dog hides when the family group chat gets heated. At least once a week, someone says, “This could be a sitcom.”

What kind of craziness is this!?

You may have heard the term “multi-generational living” floating around and thought, what is this, a new Netflix series? Not quite (although maybe it should be – Nexflix, call me when you’re ready!) . And no, it’s not a commune or a cult — nobody’s gathering in a circle to vote on thermostat settings by candlelight or churning butter at dawn (though we have worn coordinating, song title/food pun T-Shirts for our annual Friendsgiving party). It’s basically when three or more generations decide that instead of living in separate houses like normal people, they’ll all move under one roof. Think of it as family reunion meets long-term lease.

In practice, this usually means grandparents, parents, and kids (and sometimes uncles, cousins, or that one sibling who “doesn’t want to miss out on the fun”) all sharing the same fridge, bathroom lineup, and Wi-Fi bandwidth. It’s part sitcom, part survival show, and part warm-and-fuzzy Hallmark movie — depending on the day and the thermostat setting.

The perks? Built-in babysitters, shared bills, and a never-ending supply of stories. The challenges? Built-in babysitters with opinions, shared bills with opinions, and stories with opinions that you’ve already heard a thousand times.

So if it’s not a commune and it’s not a cult, just what the heck is a multi-generational lifestyle? It’s chaos, comedy, and connection — all jammed into one house. Or as Grandma Mel likes to call it: “a Full House without the Hollywood paycheck or that dreamy hunk, John Stamos.”