Preparing for a weekend with the grandkids

Nothing makes grandparents happier than spending time with grandchildren. Getting to spend an entire weekend with them is something that may be looked forward to with great anticipation and also a little concern. If the grandchildren are going to be spending the weekend at your home, there are things that may need to be done. If you are going to their home or taking them away for a weekend, there are a different set of possible concerns.

Here are a few tips to help prepare for a weekend with the grandchildren,  something that both you and they will want to repeat again, soon.

Hazards

A lot of the preparation for a visit is age specific. If you have young grandchildren then you need to childproof your home before the kids arrive. Get rid of breakable knickknacks, put the chemicals and cleaners in a high cupboard or get childproof door locks. It may have been a while since you have had a child in the house, look at anything that may be a hazard and remove it.

Food

Feeding the grandkids can be a very big deal especially if you have picky eaters or any food allergies. If you are not used to feeding them, talk to the kids beforehand or their parents at the very least. Teens and tweens can be equally as picky as younger children. It is better to be prepared with their favorite foods than to spoil a visit trying to feed them something that they hate or have never tried before.

It is always fun to get them to help prepare a meal if they are old enough and once they are comfortable you can try to introduce something new, or maybe not but knowing their likes and dislikes will help make the visit go smoother.

Activities

Have some sort of a plan for what you will be doing. Making memories with the grandchildren is something that they will cherish for the rest of their lives. A trip to the zoo or aquarium, making cookies together, picking apples or blueberries, you get the idea. Try to do something that is new for them, something they will remember. Play catch or jump rope, get out the Wii and play tennis, go to storytime at the local library or take them on an adventure. Whatever you enjoy, if presented right, they will enjoy.

Equipment 

Be sure you have all the correct car seats and equipment you may need for the visit. Having a bicycle that you picked up at a tag sale is not a bad idea. Just in case the weather turns bad have indoor activities planned. Get some coloring books, movies, lots of popcorn and even a good old-fashioned board or card game.

Ask the parents lots of questions especially if this is something that doesn’t happen very often. If it is a regular occurrence to have the grandchildren for a weekend visit, then you already know what to do but it never hurts to talk about anything that is new.

As tempting as it may be to feed the kids loads of junk food and keep them up way too late, try to control yourself. If you do this on the first day, all of you will suffer the second day. A little indulgence is what grandparenting is all about but too much of a good thing can cause everyone to be unhappy.

Now that you have read these tips, use them to give yourself some ideas about how to enjoy your weekend. Every family is different and what works for one may not work for others. Make your grandchildren feel special, enjoy yourself and they will have a great time and look forward to coming back to grandma and grandpa's house for another weekend.