What are the Pros and Cons of Having Extended Family Live Nearby?

Moms Talk is a new feature on Altadena Patch that is part of a new initiative on our Patch sites to reach out to moms and families.

We are inviting you and your circle of friends to help build a community of support for mothers and their families right here in Altadena

To help facilitate that, we've met with some local moms who are going to be helping out as our Moms Council of experts who can help be part of the discussion, taking your questions, giving advice and sharing solutions.

To find topics for this feature, we've engaged Courtney Scrabeck, Nina Malone, and Deborah Graff of the local MOMS Club, as well as local moms Leslie Aitken and Nadine Isenberg.

This week's topic is about having extended family nearby.  Your own mother and father make great, free babysitters, of course, but that can come with a price.  So our question to you, readers, is are there downsides to having family too close?  What role should your own parents play in helping your parenting?  Are there boundaries that need to be respected?  And how do you manage those boundaries?

Please discuss in the comments section below.