Grandparents Come to Town: Enjoying Your Guests

When visitors come to town it is always exciting, especially when it is grandparents! But sometimes, the rush of new people in the house can be a little overwhelming for a little one. Here are some simple tips for enjoying your guests to the fullest, while not throwing your child into a funk:

• Stick to your everyday routine.
• Establish a schedule.
• Plan some simple activities that are geared towards your little one.
• Plan some big activities that stretch your little one.

Everyday routine

When people come to visit you, they come to visit YOU. That is why getting them involved in the daily activities can be the some of the greatest moments of their vacation.

Audette and I go on a walk almost every day through the arboretum behind our house and make a stop at the little toddler playground on our way home. This was a perfect excuse to get out and exercise together as a family with Grandma and Grandpa Laird. Grandpa Laird was a pro with the stroller and Grandma Laird made sure Audette was safe on the slide.

Audette loves bath time and if your little one does too, then you can make it a special time for Grandma and Grandpa. Grandma Laird created a new game with Audi's bath toys. She would put them on the faucet and then knock them off in to the water. Audette thought it was the best thing she had ever seen; basically, the giggles we heard from the bath were contagious. It even had Grandpa wanting in on the fun and he started letting the toys fall from the top of the shower. The Lairds like to call Grandpa Laird the "one upper".

Bed time routines can also be a great time to get guests involved. We ended up letting Grandma and Grandpa take over bed time completely. They moved seamlessly from bath time to pjs to reading. Remember, they have years of experience! Make sure your guests feel comfortable with everything that bed time involves. Audette is having a hard time with brushing her teeth these days, so Eric or I would always come in to help with this part. Maybe your little one doesn't like getting dressed and it is best to take over when you have to squeeze their little head into those always tight pajamas. Just ask and invite. If someone doesn't feel comfortable, they will let you know. Relinquishing some of these responsibilities can be good for a parent too. Standing back and watching allows for your little one to become comfortable with new people and you may learn some new techniques along the way. There is always more than one way to do something!

Establishing a schedule

Everyone has expectations on vacation, so lay them out at the beginning of the trip. That way everyone will be prepared for what comes up on the schedule. Eric was only taking one day off of work while his parents were in town; this was the day we went hiking as a family. Read about our hiking adventure here. On the other days Eric was working, he let us know which days would be most flexible to meet up for lunch, or when he might be able to head home early. Grandpa Laird had work to do every day as well, which meant we knew we would be home during certain times of the day or we could plan small outings with just Grandma Laird. This helped us coordinate nap and meal times.

We also had a couple of pre-existing commitments on our schedule. You may be thinking that it is best to cancel anything on your schedule that may conflict with visitors, but some activities can make for a lot of fun for your guests. Audette had her last swim lesson of the session while Grandma and Grandpa were in town. Although it meant she had three adults in the pool to help her with her lesson, she loved all of the attention and it gave her extra confidence. Plus, Grandma and Grandpa had fun seeing our little fish in her element.

Activities geared toward your little one

We are lucky to live in a beautiful city that has plenty to keep us busy, even in our own neighborhood. Finding a couple of simple activities close to home can be great for your guests and for your little one. We took advantage of all of our close-by fun, so we could make sure Audette was able to get in her nap at the house a couple of days during the week.

Grandma and Grandpa Laird brought their bikes with them, which made for a perfect close to home outing. It was a great way for them to see the nearby parks, streams, lake and wildlife. Audette loved taking a break to meet all of the new baby ducks and geese in our neighborhood. We couldn't believe how much the baby ducks loved Audette! They kept nibbling on her little fingers.

There is also a Japanese Garden close by our home. We all took a little walk to check it out and feed the Koi fish together. Grandma Laird loved the gardens and Audette couldn't get enough of the fish.

Activities to stretch your little one

I am a big proponent of getting your kids out and about. Sometimes that means naps happen in the car or meal times are a little off, but you will be surprised how well your little one will do. We have kept Audette pretty busy since an early age. I realize that sometimes we push it too far, but for the most part, she has learned to be such a social and easy going child because of all the carting around.

When guests are in town, it is easy to overload your schedule with big events and outings. We do it all too often. This time we figured out as a family which places we wanted to visited ahead of time and then made plans to spread them out throughout the week. We went to Pike Place Public Market twice while Grandma and Grandpa were here, mostly because there is too much food to try in just one day! There were moments where I could tell Audette was getting a little tired or fussy, but it helps having an extra pair of hands to help distract or entertain. Grandpa and Audette did a great job trying all the food, as well. That kept her pretty busy and happy! If you are planning to visit, we especially loved Pike Place Chowder and Piroshky Bakery. Make sure you get the whole baked apple from Piroshky. Amazing!

We also decided to do a day trip to one of our favorite little towns, Poulsbo. We didn't start until the afternoon, but knew we would be spending the rest of the day on the road or on a ferry. We took every chance we could to get Audette out and about. The ferry ride was perfect for her. It was windy, but she was able to spend at least 30 minutes running around the deck of the boat, making new friends.

If you do decide to plan big day trips, take time to make stops as needed. You know your child and will  know what stops they appreciate the most. Audette loved our stop at Sluy's Bakery in Poulsbo. I bought Audette the biggest pastry they had. She barely ate any of it, but the pictures were great.

Sure, there were some bumps in the road and Audette did get tired during our week of Grandma and Grandpa fun. In fact, she fell asleep Sunday, the final day our guests were in town, for a four hour nap and didn't even get to say goodbye. Grandma and Grandpa understood; and I think we all agree, it was a pretty perfect week.