Just Had My Last Family Get-Together

[Countrygal]

....at least until I can figure out a way to do them and have a daycare in the home as well. All the work and getting ready and planning and then have to do half of it over again tonight to get the place re-adjusted for daycare tomorrow! Not good and definitely too much to handle.

How do those of you with in-home daycare that you don't have separate space for handle holidays and the like?????

[LittleD]

Well, I always held mine on Saturday, that way I after I cleaned up from our party, I wouldn't worry about setting up daycare until Sunday. Other then that, I just pushed what I couldn't hide away into the farthest corner of the room. Everyone understood, they were just happy not to host the event themselves!

[permanentvacation]

I have events on Saturday too. I prepare on Friday during the day as much as I can while the kids are still here. I cook, clean, and move stuff out of the daycare room - kind of throw most of it into my bedroom while the kids are napping! - while the kids are still here and finish preparing Friday evening. Then have the event on Saturday. Then have all day Sunday to clean up and put my daycare back together. It is a bit of work, but I think it's worth it to have get togethers here. I tell my daycare parents during the week before my get together that I will be having an event that weekend, so when they come in Friday evening and the daycare stuff has been taken out, they understand.

[Countrygal]

How do you fit in the weekend grocery shopping for the DC and the party? That takes me at least 4 hours - I have to travel 20 miles each way to the grocery store. Do you do that ahead at night or on Sunday after?

[CheekyChick]

I had a Christmas brunch here and most of my furniture is in storage which made it a bit tricky.

I put up folding tables/chairs and dressed the tables as elegantly as possible. I had a buffet table set up that looked gorgeous. I did not move ONE toy and you (almost) didn't notice.

My family/friends know what I do, so there was no sense in trying to hide everything for a party. I say KEEP having those family get togethers and leave everything as is.

[permanentvacation]

What time does your grocery store open and close? If you have a lot to do that weekend, you might need to be the first in the store or the last one closing it.

You might want to sit down and make a list of things that you need to do and how long each will take you. Then you might be able to create a schedule for yourself.

[Country Kids]

Countrygal I understand so much what you are talking about. We are having a family/friend get together for graduation coming up. Even though we might not do it here, I'm already stressing about what all we need to do and enjoying it all and then being able to have everything ready to go for Monday. It's pretty much going to be a 3 day event so I'm not sure how to even get ready for childcare on the following Monday-:confused:

[mom2many]

It is a lot of work entertaining in my home...getting it cleaned, toys put away and food prepared. I had 11 women over for bunco mid week an hour after daycare closed and had to have dinner ready when they arrived. It's not easy, but I can do it if I stay organized and plan ahead! I shopped and prepared the food the night before, so I only had last minute things to prepare.

I have toys in bins that go back in the closet, but the play kitchen and car table are left out for most get togethers here. They are in the computer room and not in the main living room, so they are pretty much out of sight.

The potty chair and booster seats all get stored away too, but that is no biggie and I do that every weekend. My kids are all grown and my home doesn't look like I run daycare except Mon-Fri 7 am- 6 pm.

We entertain often and this summer we will be having 150 guests here at our house for my daughter's wedding. I'm taking off Wed, Thurs, Fri off before the wedding to cook and prepare the food and get things cleaned and ready!

[Countrygal]

Thanks for all the suggestions!

Perm, you asked about the stores. The stores stay open, that's not too big a problem, but I have a 5yo that needs HIS sleep. I also have an old lady who needs HER sleep or she's a bear for whomever is there the next day, even the 5yo.

I think it would be better if my get-togethers were more fun. The family that comes over basically don't help with anything much at all. I'm lucky if they help clear the table, and noone has EVER stayed to help with clean-up, like doing the dishes. I grew up that it worked differently, that even helping afterwards was part of the getting together! The rest of the family live too far away to come home, even for holidays. So get-togethers are not a lot of fun for me, and the added stress just doesn't seem worth it.

I appreciated everyone encouraging me to keep it up. It probably is worth the inconvenience in the end, but it surely is something I will think long and hard about and it will never again be at the whim of others!

[MrsB]

We live about 2800 miles from all of our family but we used to have alot of work family BBQ's here. Everyone would bring all their kids and be so excited because our house was set up for kids. They expected me to watch their kids. Or had the notion that since it was "childproofed" they didnt need to watch their kids. Every single bin would get dumped in the daycare room and everyone would go home without picking up a single thing and it would take me a few hours to put the room back together.

Sooo now we have adult only get togethers here.::::::

[SunshineMama]

The worst is when DH's fmily comes to visit- they always stay for at least a week in our house. I have to do daycare and entertain MIL and family too.

Needless to say, I have "gone off" on dh's brothers once or twice for being so darn messy. I dont have the time to clean after all of those grown college boys and do daycare. My guest room is the daycare nap room so things get really tricky when they come.... 3-4 times year.

[kendallina]

Ugh...I was just thinking about creating a similar kind of post. My mother is staying here this entire week and my sister and her family will be staying the night Thursday! I'm sure I'm going to go crazy! There just isn't space in my house, plus my daughter never sleeps well when we have company (she has to sleep in my room right now because of space) and she's sooo cranky.

Sorry, I am no help...

[Countrygal]

It's certainly a comfort to know I'm not the only one who struggles with this! Even if there really is no perfect answer.....