Obama’s Mother-In-Law, Marian Robinson, Will Also Live in the White House

President-elect Barack Obama’s mother-in-law, Marian Robinson, 71, will soon move into the White House - at least temporarily. During the presidential campaign, Robinson retired from her job as a bank executive secretary to help care for her granddaughters, Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7.

If Robinson stays, she will be part of a growing trend of retirees moving in with their children and grandchildren. More than 3.6 million parents lived with their adult children in 2007, according to Census Bureau data, up 67 percent from 2000. And 24 percent of baby boomers anticipate that their parents or in-laws will move in with them, according to the AARP.

But Robinson won’t be the first in-law to take up residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Ulysses Grant's father-in-law, Richard Dent, and Harry Truman's mother-in-law, Madge Gates Wallace, both lived there too, the Associated Press reports. And Laura Bush's mother, Jenna Welch, often spent weeks at a time at the white house, according to the Washington Post. 

Sharing a roof can cut housing and childcare costs for many families. But tensions between multiple generations living in close quarters are also likely. Check out these tips to avoid conflicts.