Living with 3 generations feels old-fashioned. That's exactly what I like about it.

• Instead of downsizing as they got older, Robyn O'Neill and her husband bought a bigger property.
• They wanted a larger space in case other family members decided to move in with them.
• The house, twice the size of the previous one, now accommodates five people from three generations.

This story is based on an interview with Robyn O'Neill, 60, a former parent liaison from Waterbury, Connecticut. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I'd been searching on Zillow for at least two years before I found the perfect house in early 2021. Our real estate agent called it my unicorn because I was so picky, and it finally met our needs.

Pretty much the whole place was on a single floor, with no stairs. I had mobility issues after a knee replacement and breaking my hip, so stairs were a problem.

And at 3,300 square feet, it was large enough to comfortably accommodate lots of people.

I had it in the back of my mind that other members of my husband Peter's family and mine would move in with us for various reasons. I wanted a big space, where everybody had their own zone.

We had previously lived in a 1,600-square-foot cape that would have burst at the seams with more people inside. The bedrooms butted up against each other.

In contrast, our new home offered privacy, with three bedrooms on the first floor, plenty of space between them, and two-and-a-half baths.

The laundry, kitchen, great room, music room with a grand piano, and sun room were on the same level. The attic was built out with a bedroom and a full bathroom.

Finally, there was the basement, which stretched the entire length of the house. One of its rooms was finished, and we got it soundproofed.

It was an ideal spot for my 75-year-old husband's music studio, a composer who plays piano and guitar. You can't hear a thing when he's practicing.

Peter and I moved in March 2021 — and it didn't take long for the house to begin to fill up.

Our adult son lives with us, too

My dad, Richard, 79, who has Parkinson's disease and was living with my brother, got sicker. He was in a convalescent home for a while, but moved in with us around 2022.

It made sense because he needed a lot of care, which we divided between me and some professional carers. The transition was easy, and we felt reassured knowing we were close by in case of an emergency.

Our son, also called Peter, 28, a documentary filmmaker and journalist, had been living in a rental property in a nearby town. However, after traveling around Europe and Africa, he moved back in with us around two years ago.

It's saved him money as a young man starting out and given him other stability. If his friends come around, they usually spend time together in the rooms upstairs.

The last person to arrive was my sister-in-law Rita, 77, who was recovering from a stroke. She moved in earlier this month, partly because her son was moving out of state. Obviously, we welcomed her with open arms.

We're a very close-knit family, and a multi-generational life works very well for us.

We want to get old here together

One of the nicest things is seeing my son interact with his granddad and aunt. My father-in-law, a former pilot, was an adventurer. He always comes up with stories that are new to us.

Peter, Rita, Richard, and I plan to age in place. We're not going anywhere. My mom lives just a few minutes up the road and visits often. It's the same with our 37-year-old daughter.

Some people want their own individual space, which is fine. Still, we like to harken back to the old times before my grandparents died.

We all lived together, and there were always brothers, uncles, and other family around. I'm hoping to emulate the healthy, inclusive lifestyle.

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