Millennial mom shows how she is raising her son in a 'multicultural, multigenerational home' and it's just beautiful

Raising a child in a home with both sets of grandparents might not be common, but for Jessica Bailey and her husband, Tyler Bailey, it has been an incredibly fulfilling experience. Their 19-month-old son, Ace, is growing up in a 'multigenerational' household, as per Newsweek. Jessica (@jessthrowiton_) shared a glimpse into their home life on Instagram, reflecting on what it means for her son to grow up surrounded by extended family. She captioned the video, "You're a toddler who only knows life living with both sets of grandparents."

In the post, she explained that she had a similar upbringing, spending much of her childhood with her maternal grandparents. She said, "I had the realization the other day that Ace (and his future siblings) will ONLY know what it’s like to live with both sets of grandparents. I grew up living with my moms parents and so deeply appreciate the roots it gave me, so we want nothing less for our kids—except now they don’t get just one set of grandparents, they get both! I never thought multi-cultural, multi-generational living would come so soon for us in our lives but we are all SO happy and wouldn’t change it for the world."

Jessica, 33, explained that having grandparents in the home made a huge impact on her own upbringing. "It always felt nice knowing someone was always home; they subconsciously became my safety blanket," she told Newsweek. Now, she sees that same sense of connection forming for Ace. One of the most valuable aspects of their living arrangement has been the exposure to different languages. Jessica grew up hearing Mandarin, Cantonese, and Taiwanese in her home, and now her mother is passing that linguistic richness to Ace by speaking to him primarily in Mandarin.

She shared, "We feel like our toddler has been able to say more words quickly, and his first word was 'hug' in Chinese, which I loved." Beyond language, living together has helped preserve and celebrate their cultural traditions. Jessica recalled that when she was younger, embracing her heritage didn’t always feel encouraged. But now, she feels proud to share it with her son. She said, "Being able to proudly embrace and pass things down to my child has not only healed my inner child but also allowed me to be more curious of my roots as well," she said.

The multigenerational home has also created a balance of skills and responsibilities. Jessica’s mother prefers cleaning over cooking, while Tyler’s mother loves spending time in the kitchen. Their complementary strengths have made daily life more efficient and enjoyable. Since sharing her story, Jessica has received an overwhelmingly positive response from people who admire their family dynamic. @theegreatgabs said, "What a blessing! One of the hardest things as an immigrant is having my parents in a different country."

@mariaamurphy_ noted, "It’s such a beautiful life you’ve created for your family. It’s refreshing seeing examples of love like this." @designbuildla added, "Such a blessing. I can’t wait to be a grandmother like this." @chantalmariexo wrote, "Such a gift to have grandparents, but even more of a blessing to have this bond with them." @keishathalia commented, "This is what you can call a rich life, a life full of love."

You can follow Jessica Bailey (@jessthrowiton_) on Instagram for more parenting content.