Any survival tips?

United States
June 18, 2008 12:21pm CST
O.K. Here's the deal. My grown daughters live at quite a distance with their own families. I don't get to see them more than a couple times a year. One lives in Toronto with hubby and son. The other lives in WV with hubby and two daughters. So the week of the Fourth of July they are ALL coming here! Yep, all of them. The Toronto family will be here the entire week and the WV family will be here the long weekend of the Fourth. There is a grown granddaughter who lives in the same city as we and she is really excited about her Toronto family being here for a week. So she will be here a lot of the time, too. That makes eight people here, three of them seven and under. Now, this is a "granny" house. We live a very quiet life, don't even have cable t.v. and don't have much of a yard. Entertaining children is always a challenge, since I'm disabled and not very energetic. The parents like to find things to do that don't include children, yet I'm not really able to keep the kids for very long at a stretch. So I'm expecting a fair amount of stress from the week. The question is, what can I do to be a good host while preserving my sanity and health?
2 responses
• United States
19 Jun 08
Good luck Granny. I am sure your family understands your limitations. How old are the children? Have you got age appropriate board games? If not ask The Mums and Dads to bring some. I know my bunch loves uno and other simple card games.. Nothing like good competition around the table.
1 person likes this
• United States
19 Jun 08
Good idea! Thanks. The kids are 5, 7, and 7. I'll email their folks and ask them to bring whatever their kids like to play!
• United States
19 Jun 08
Those ages youdontsay it will be hard keeping up with them... Crayons coloring books and play dough will help too... anything that grand children and Grannies can sit down and do together :))) I know it will be taxing but I also know in the end you will be so grateful to have had them :)))
1 person likes this
• United States
20 Jun 08
I can not wait to hear of their visit... enjoy Nana :)))
1 person likes this
• United States
18 Jun 08
Just relex and enjoy the time with them. you can assign houseworks to them!
1 person likes this
• United States
19 Jun 08
Thanks! I'll start a "do list."