I live in a nice three bedroom home with my husband, daughter, and dog. Sounds nice, right? For the most part, my life is relatively quiet. Then my sister, her husband and their daughter moved into our spare bedroom. Don’t get me wrong. I love having them here, and I am definitely having a great time getting to know my niece. It’s just that 6 people and a dog in a little house can get very chaotic. I am just trying to find a way to live my life, without stepping on anyone toes. If you are about to find yourself in the same situation, here are a few tips to help you all get along.
First, do not try to discipline your house guest’s children. This is going to be difficult because the parent in you will want to scold a naughty kid. Instead, take a step back and let the child’s mommy or daddy take care of business. You’ll avoid a messy situation, and let’s face it; other people’s children have a tendency to disobey anyone that can’t threaten to take away Christmas!
Never utter the phrase, "Make yourself at home". I don’t know about you, but I am pretty particular about how my household is run. My plates go in the cabinet to the right of the sink, and the cups to the left. I don’t like any disruption to this equation, and my new housemate’s might not agree with my dinnerware placement. Do yourself a favor and keep the line between guest and permanent occupant very clear.
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Before my extended family even set foot in the house, I sat down with my husband and made up a list of house rules. This is a great way to give you and your significant other a little structure amidst all the disorder. Keep the rules very simple. Don’t go overboard and make any of them unrealistic. For instance, I am very obsessive about saving electricity. If lights get left on in a room that is not being occupied, I go a little crazy. So one of my core rules is to make sure lights are turned off. Prepare yourself for some of these guidelines to be broken, or just plain ignored. When this happens, keep your cool and give your
new housemate’s a friendly little reminder.
The most important piece of advice I can give all of you out there who are about to embark on this new adventure is this: relax and enjoy the experience. Remember that this is your family, and you are there to support and encourage one another. Have fun sharing in the joy of raising one another’s kids. My daughter and my niece are having a great time together and this bond will hopefully grow even stronger as the days and months go by.