Family of Five Brings in Seven Boarders to Weather Economic Storm
My hometown is littered with old boarding houses, buildings that haven’t housed more than one family in at least five decades.
But in this economy – who knows? Could boarding houses be making a comeback?
One New Mexico family of five has expanded to twelve thanks to seven boarders weathering the economic storm in their thirty-eight thousand hundred square foot house.
Georgia and Chris Frankel have three daughters of their own – ages three, six and seventeen – living with them. There are another two teens in the house now, plus their parents and others for a total of five adults. The Frankels don’t require rent, and they’re not rich. Both halves of the couple work, and confess they live “paycheck to paycheck.”
So why do it? They’re paying it forward.
Their eldest daughter was extremely sick, and Chris’ father in the final stages of cancer several years ago. Together, the illnesses put a financial burden on the family, and pulled Chris into a deep depression. He cut back on work, and the family could barely keep their heads above water.
“We learned how to get by when there was not enough food in the house
for the kids,” Chris told CNN. “We had to beg and borrow money from people
to get by.”
Then the clouds lifted. Chris got back to work, and the family stabilized. Their daughter got better. Having lived with family and friends when they first got married, they were no strangers to sharing their lives with others. They started opening their home two years ago, first to one of Chris’ students at the University of New Mexico – where he teaches in the exercise science program to supplement the family’s income. Now there are twelve people chipping in on chores, chipping away at the $1,000-a-month food bill and throwing money into the pot to buy a communal Wii. The Frankels’ kids are exposed to different cultures (one boarder is an Italian-born chef who speaks three languages), and they’re earning a healthy respect for charity.
It sounds like a great idea – if it works for you.
But is this really an option for families? Even families who do have the space, who could turn spare bedrooms into space for boarders? Does this take away from the ability to parent your own kids and give your own kids what they really need – you?
I admit to being selfish here, but sometimes I think my daughter benefits the most from time spent alone with me and my husband – in an environment that’s all about the family unit. She learns her charity outside of the house, gets her culture from the interesting people she meets out there too. Am I just being a Scrooge?
Image: CNN
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I’m paranoid. I would worry about the same things other posters have worried. Also, I am highly anti-social and need my privacy. I also dislike confrontation and wouldn’t like the increased possibility of household conflict. But that is me – my personality type doesn’t represent everyone. As long as one is careful and has the space I don’t see why not.
First: You wrote 38,000 sq ft above. Do you mean that, or 3,800? There’s a big difference.
We had a number of relatives in their early 20′s (second-cousin, soon-to-be-aunt, and first cousin) live with us over the years, even sharing a room with my sister (I had a smaller room — lucky me!). It was never a big deal for us, and I think that it taught my sister and I about charity and about how doing good is not always convenient. If I had the space, I’d definitely consider doing it, though I’d probably prefer something that wasn’t “communal” in all aspects (as in, dinners together might be okay, but we don’t all need to hang out in the living room at the same time). I think that the only way my husband could stand doing such a thing, though, would be if we had a coach house or separate apartment in our home. He’s a bit anti-social. That said, I might be hesitant about strangers living with us.
I admit to some initial squeamishness – how can I be sure these folks wouldn’t prey on my kids? But if you could do a little checking, to make sure the boarders aren’t a danger, then I don’t see how it would be bad for the kids – like C.C. said.
how is this charity? Aren’t the boarders paying rent?
When I was teenager we had a border. I really didn’t notice him much; he lived upstairs and we lived on the main floor. It certainly didn’t affect the way our family ran.
I think that taking on a border can be a great idea. Personally I don’t see how it would affect how you parent your child, or how you are able to parent your child, unless you choose to let the border interfere with that.
That said, we are currently trying to get a border, we have half of our finished and furnished basement available, and are trying to woo one of the new guards for the jail.
I think it will be good for all of us to learn to share our space, and help someone out.