How To Have The Grandparents Come And Stay – Permanently

How To Have The Grandparents Come And Stay – Permanently

“This post is a partnered post and may contain affiliate links. These thoughts and opinions are in line with my own personal beliefs.”

When your children are very young, your parents can provide invaluable support. In fact, they may be your go-to childcare option. As your children get older, however, you may find yourself balancing childcare duties with helping your own parents. Sometimes the best solution is to have your parents live with you. If you’re considering this, here are some tips to help.

Grandparents Come And Stay – Permanently

Make sure everyone’s really on board

Having your parents move in with you is a major step for them, you and your partner and your children. It will only work if everyone is really on board with it. You’re only going to find out if everyone’s really on board with it if you get into the details. That is likely to mean thinking about the practicalities of how your family runs in much greater depth than you ever have before.

For example, if your children are at school, then you’ll have the school run to deal with each morning? Where are your parents going to fit into that? Would you like them to help or to keep out of the way? If you want them to keep out of the way, what can they do while you’re managing the school run? In either case, how does everyone else feel about your suggestion?

It’s impossible to overstate the importance of thinking all this through very thoroughly before taking any major decisions. Ideally, you and your partner should agree on a path forward you’re both happy with before approaching your parents. Make sure you’re clear on your lines in the sand and when you’re prepared to be flexible.

Be prepared to update your house

If you have a garden, then creating a separate mini-home for your parents can be an excellent option. This gives them their independence and space while keeping them next to you. It also creates obvious boundaries. These types of buildings typically have to be small in size but they can still be big on both function and style. Try looking at some display homes to see what’s possible.

Giving your parents a separate home of their own can also save you the need to update your own home. At the very least it should minimize the need for updates. If, however, you’re having your parents live in your main home, then you will need to assess it thoroughly for safety and functionality. It may be useful to get professional assistance with this.

Think about the finances

Having your parents live with you is going to push up your household bills. You, therefore, need to decide how much of that cost, if any, you’re going to pass on to your parents. You may also need to decide if bills should be put in their name or kept in yours. In some cases, you may want a bill put in their name but with your name added on so you can help them manage the account.

As always, remember to take these decisions mindfully. In particular, remember that if you are linked to someone financially, their decisions will generally reflect on you. The impact of this may be good or bad, depending on how well they manage their finances.

If you’re considering having grandparents come and stay permanently then I hope that these tips have helped. Do let me know in the comments box below if you have any useful tips to add!