3 Ways to Prepare Your Kids For Having A Grandparent Move In With You

Running your home and taking care of your family can be challenging enough with just those that are in your immediate family. Adding in more people can make things more complicated and stressful, especially if those people are going to be relying on you for their care or welfare. Despite this, many families are now becoming more multigenerational and having both their parents and their children living with them at the same time. But especially if your children are young, this can cause a big disturbance in your lives. So to help smooth things over, here are three ways you can prepare your kids for having a grandparent move in with you.

Let Them Know Beforehand

While you might not think that your children will really care if their grandma or grandpa moves in, having someone else in the house can have a big impact on the children. So rather than just springing this news on them, Caregivers.com recommends that you give your children warning well before your parent moves in. This will allow them to express any concerns they may have and help you troubleshoot problems that you can already see on the horizon. Giving your kids a heads up will also help them make the transition a little easier.

Create Clear Boundaries

Once your parents arrive, it’s a good idea to set clear boundaries on all sides from the very beginning. If you’re able to set some rules and guidelines before any issues arise, it can help to discourage those things from becoming issues in the first place. According to Jacqueline Curtis, a contributor to Money Crashers, some of the things you might want to set boundaries about could include disciplining the children, chores and other responsibilities, and previously set family routines. In addition to these boundaries, you might also want to have regular family meetings to discuss if there need to be more boundaries set in other areas.

Respect Each Other’s Privacy

Having a lot of people in one house can quickly bring up problems with privacy. For families with teenagers or older children, it’s very important for them to feel like they have their own space and can get the privacy they want and need. According to Georgia Witkins, a contributor to Grandparents.com, try to find different areas either within your house or on your property somewhere that each person can go when they need a little time on their own away from the chaos of the rest of the house.

If you’ll soon be having one of your parents move in with your young family, consider using the tips mentioned above to help things go well with this new transition.

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