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6 of us in a small house - reaching critical mass - ideas for separate activities

hopeful_13's picture

Submitted by hopeful_13 on Thu, 09/03/2015 - 8:17pm

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Blended Family Issues

Hi all, my husband and I started thinking of living in separate houses due to our small space and everyone getting on each other's nerves. How can you spend alone time with your kids with a small budget and regularly give your spouse quiet time alone with his/her kids? the kids are almost tweens, I don't want to go to the park for a few hours all the time - the kids have outgrown the park. Any ideas are welcome. I need one idea per weekend that will take us or them out of the house for at least 4 hours at a time or up to the whole day. I don't want to make it so cool that the other kids feel slighted they didn't get to do it too.

twoviewpoints's picture

Submitted by twoviewpoints on Thu, 09/03/2015 - 8:30pm

Do all the kids live in the home fulltime? Asking as if some of them 'live' there and some visit, or example EOWE, it may make difference in ideas.

Last In Line's picture

Submitted by Last In Line on Thu, 09/03/2015 - 8:49pm

Have them train to volunteer at the animal shelter/humane society. Would be a great way to spend a few hours every weekend.

If they aren't animal lovers, maybe some other volunteer opportunity could be found--sorting at a clothes closet, soup kitchen, etc.

Also, I agree that if you could afford 2 houses, you could certainly afford one bigger house.

2Bloved's picture

Submitted by 2Bloved on Thu, 09/03/2015 - 10:16pm

I agree about just getting a bigger place. Separate residences= double rent, double electricity, water, garbage, sewer, internet, cable, etc.

still learning's picture

Submitted by still learning on Fri, 09/04/2015 - 9:51am

Many of the animals in zoos are there because they were injured and rescued and could not survive in the wild. There are also breeding programs to help endangered animals.

Monchichi's picture

Submitted by Monchichi on Fri, 09/04/2015 - 7:45am

Come to South Africa and if someone just looks at your child you're trying to shoot them Blum 3 We are a supremely paranoid nation.

still learning's picture

Submitted by still learning on Fri, 09/04/2015 - 9:59am

Driving is the worst. I'm doing my 40 hrs of being in the car with my teen who just got his permit. Gawd, I really need some kind of muscle relaxer while I'm in the car with him.

Teach your kids about stranger danger, neighbors, and even family members. Bad things do happen but you cannot hoover over your kids all the time, they need to be empowered to make the right decisions if they are approached. Have kids play in a group and stick together. My friends and I would roam all over town and the wilderness, even swim in the river unsupervised by parents. Their only direction was, "stay together," we did and all my friends and I survived.

As for teens getting out of the house on the weekend, have them get a job.

ohiodad's picture

Submitted by ohiodad on Wed, 09/16/2015 - 10:19am

We have 8 people in a small 1300 sq ft ranch house. 2 kids are with us full time (BIL16, SIL13), my wife's bio kids (SS11, and SS9) are with us about 90% of the time, my bio kids (BS9, BS4) are with us about 50% of the time. So our house is crazy! We make it work though. We built rooms downstairs for the older kids, and the younger siblings each share a room. Having the older kids out of our hair and a place where they can hide from the younger ones is key in our house. In addition we have a pretty strong preference for playing outside. I think the key is to make sure each kid has a place to go to get away.