By Karen Wright, www.RaisingYourGrandchildren.com
A grandmother in love with her grandchildren
Do you remember the song, "She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain" and the verse "Oh, she'll have to sleep with grandma when she comes?" I sang that song as a kid and sang it with my kids and with my grandchildren when they lived with me. What a funny song.
My question to you is "Where do your grandchildren sleep when they are with you? It can be especially challenging for grandparents who have already downsized to a smaller home. I remember one grandmother who wrote me a few years ago. She lived in a 2 bedroom apartment when she unexpectedly got five grandchildren to raise. Most Americans are not used to living with so many people in such a small place.
When I first got custody of 3 of my grandchildren, I lived in a 3 bedroom home, which consisted of a master bedroom, a room I used for my home office, and a room for my teenager. There were no extra beds let alone bedrooms in the beginning. I put the newborn in a basket by my bed, the two-year-old in a playpen, and the four-year-old on a toddler mattress on the floor. Eventually, with an addition put on the home, I was able to put the two oldest in bunkbeds in their own room and the crib in the master bedroom with me. Eventually, we moved into a farmhouse with plenty of bedrooms and beds.
Now that the children live with their mother, I moved into a very small home again in the city. So now where do grandchildren sleep when they visit me? I no longer have bunk-beds or even an extra bed. Air mattresses work wonders in my extra room, and yes, one may need to sleep with grandma.
Whether you are raising your grandchildren or they just come for a weekend visit, where do they sleep? Are you fortunate enough to have a guest room, a hide-a-bed, or do you use air mattresses like I do now. You know, even though I like this little house I have in the city, I miss all of the bedrooms, beds, and children around alot. I do look forward to when they get to come visit and have a sleep over with me.
So where do your grandchildren sleep?
Karen Best Wright, B.S. Holistic Health & Wellness Educator
www.TheWellnessWay.org