My dh was recently laid off :( Sadly we will have to move in with his or my parents, along with our 2 year old dd. We recently had a major decluttering with our last move 6 months ago, but I was wondering if anyone had any tips or advice on organizing ourselves for this move (or tips and advice for getting along well together)
Thanks so much!
Gosh, you have my sympathy! Both for the redundancy and for the parent thing. I would probably murder someone within days if I had to live with either my parents or MIL... Can you afford to put a few things in storage or could you find a friend or relative who can store some of the bigger stuff for you?
Re the getting on together thing, I think some solid ground rules are probably required, especially as you don't know how long it may be for. So: chores, meals, money, babysitting, shared space, every single thing you can think of could be thrashed out so everyone knows exactly what is what. My SIL and her dh lived with my FIL and his wife a while ago, it caused a lot of tension at the time as they didn't seem to communicate about it first and a few weeks turned into about 6 months and it all got a bit strained as the wife thought she was being taken for granted. And that was before they had kids! It depends on how good your relationship is with whoever you move in with, how much space is available, that sort of thing. But definitely discussing all the logistics upfront with them is the best bet. Good luck :)
tmichelle, I'm sorry to hear that. Definitely discuss things first, especially money, space, time together, babysitting, grocery shopping, cooking, menus, dishes, etc so that no one feels put upon. It's rough going to live with parents (I did that once) after you are used to being in your own place, with your own patterns and habits. And you have a 2-yr old dd, besides. Good luck :)
Hmmm, serious list making would be happening if I was in your shoes. What could be easily stored, what you would like stored but could easily replaced, what you feel you must have, and what items parents already have available. Also, a discussion w/ parents of space they are willing to clear or items of their own they are willing to store. Plus, get a scale floor plan of the spaces you are being allotted, so you have a better idea of what you can fit in without going stir crazy.
Thank you all so much for your advice. I am usually a fairly organized person, but I am having a bit of a time trying to figure out what I need to do in this situation. Right now we are visiting with our families for Christmas but when we return home I have to start making that list as jbeany suggested. I need to start packing things. And you all are right, we need to sit down and have some conversations (not looking forward to that). I think we will end up moving in with his parents because they have a finished unused basement with a bedroom and bathroom. Also, my parents are more type A and I think we might have more clashes with them if we lived with them although they are generously offering their home (they want the grandbaby :) ). Lord willing we won't be in this position long...
:O
The Chinese character for "crises" combines the symbols for both danger and opportunity.
staying with the inlaws sounds like the best bet if you'll have more privacy, then you can go and visit your parents when you need to escape :) Even as a parent, I know how wearing small children can be, no matter how gorgeous your 2 year old is she's going to be noisy and bouncy and hard for an older person used to their own space to live with! Good luck with The Conversation and I really hope the financial situation improves rapidly... Prepare for the worst and hope for the best :)
Thanks for the support! Having a good attitude can make a huge difference so I really appreciate all of the encouragement.
Good article in the New York Times today about this very topic:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/29/us/29families.html?hp
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