To My Kids- Some Rules and Recommendations for Grandma’s House

Okay, Kids. We’re almost there. It’s time for a few reminders before we get to Grandpa and Grandma’s house.

First of all, when we get there I know you’ll be excited to check out the Christmas tree, see what food is cooking, play with your cousins and all that good stuff. Before you go running around the house like crazy people, GO SEE GRANDMA AND GRANDPA. Go look at their faces and tell them hello. Ask them a question if you want to. Give them a hug if you feel like it. Just go be respectful and take a minute to show them some love before you get all involved in your other stuff.

Photo by Rebecca Tredway Photography

Now, you know there’s going to be a big meal. A couple pointers for you– you don’t have to eat anything you don’t want to eat, but you also don’t need to say anything about it. I don’t care about you finishing everything, but there is no reason in the world for you to announce, “This is disgusting.” and then start crying. Let’s just have one year where nobody does that. If you don’t eat something and an adult asks you if you liked it, you don’t need to lie, but there are also more and less polite ways to be truthful. You can say, “That wasn’t my favorite.” That is much nicer than saying, “It was gross.” and the truth is that it was gross TO YOU, but it may not have been to the rest of us, so you don’t need to make bold pronouncements about it’s edibility. Now you don’t have to eat anything, but if you put a bunch of food on your plate and then leave it there and tell me you’re full, don’t come later asking for cake or pie or cookies. Just don’t.

Some thoughts about the bathroom:  Using the bathroom is a not a group sport. Do not invite someone into the bathroom with you unless you are a small child and need a parent to help you with your pants. If someone is already in the bathroom, do not bust in. If you are going to the bathroom FOR THE LOVE, please shut the door all the way. Do not spray Grandma’s good smelling spray in the bathroom without adult permission. In general, do not remove your pants in any room other than the bathroom. If the bathroom has a bad smell, you do not need to announce that to anyone else.Do not use the sink to make a bubble bath with Grandma’s decorative soaps. Please flush.

Grandma’s house is not a indoor playground. Do not use her good living room pillows for a pillow fight with your cousins. Do not flip open the reclining footrests on the couches a thousand times. Do not go rifling through her cabinets without permission. If you make a mess, clean it up. If someone has made a giant mess and you need adult help, ask for adult help. If you spill something, do not just walk away and hope nobody knows it was you. If you break something, tell Grandma and BE SORRY– do not blame someone else or act like it wasn’t a big deal just because it isn’t a big deal to you. Do not touch Grandma’s computer or Grandpa’s electronics. Just because something is in Grandma and Grandpa’s house does not mean you have access to it. They love you very much and we’d like to keep it that way.

Sometimes adults want to have adult conversations. If you interrupt those conversations, it should be for a good and important reason. Some examples of good and important reasons: Someone has started a fire, the toilet overflowed, someone has a bloody nose, someone said a forbidden word, someone (who is not in a bathroom) has removed their pants. Examples of NOT good and important reasons:  “He’s looking at me!”, you want more candy, you can’t find the toy you were playing with here three weeks ago and can I find it for you, you just remembered that thing you wanted to tell me the other night about that cartoon you saw, you have a knock-knock joke you think I’d enjoy, you have some follow-up questions about where babies come from. These are all things I am happy to deal with, but NOT RIGHT NOW.

If you receive a gift from someone tonight, be thankful. Gifts cost money or time or both and you can be thankful that someone loves you enough to do that for you even if the gift isn’t what you wanted. If the gift is too small, or you already have it, or it isn’t what are into anymore, or you don’t know what it is, just be thankful. Say “Thank you for the gift. That was so kind of you.” or something like that. You don’t need to lie and say it’s the best thing ever, but there is NO REASON to be rude or say something negative about something someone gave you for free.

In all situations, remember:  Everything you say needs to be true, but not everything that’s true needs to be said.

You are very blessed to have grandparents and aunts and uncles that love you. They are very blessed to get to have YOU in their lives. We want these to be sweet memories you treasure for a long time after we aren’t able to all be together for holidays anymore. Let’s make the most of these times.

Alright, Kids! Let’s do this.