Have you ever needed your mom’s advice and wished you could run down the road to ask her in person? Does your child ask to play baseball with Grandpa every evening? Could you use an extra set of hands, or two? Perhaps it is time to consider living near your parents!
Living Near Your Parents is Beneficial for You
If your parents live nearby, you will experience endless benefits. The best perk may be date night! Ask them to establish a monthly date night routine with you. You and your significant other can enjoy a designated night out together knowing you have a plan for the kiddos to head to Grandma and Grandpa’s house for the night or weekend. Take your parents up on their offers. Read that again. Many parents do not have this level of help available. Take advantage of it, respectfully. If you are not feeling well or just need some me time, call your parents and ask them if you can drop the kids off for a couple of hours or if they can come and sit with them so you can go to the spa for the afternoon.
Need help setting boundaries with grandparents? Read more here.
Family Style Meals
Research proves the overall benefits of families sitting down for dinner together each night. If your parents live nearby, you can share the responsibility of meal planning. Perhaps they come to your house one evening per week or your family has Sunday dinner at Grandma’s. Whatever works best for you all should be a part of your weekly routine. Continuity is key to stress-free living!
Read more about the importance of family meals here.
Help is Readily Available
Imagine baking banana bread on Saturday and realizing you do not have enough flour. If your parents live nearby you can call them and ask them to bring you some from their pantry rather than leaving your preheated oven and juggling the kids to the grocery store. If your lawnmower breaks, you can borrow theirs. When your child’s school calls because they are ill, how nice would it be to call your father and ask him to go pick them up if you are at work? You can do this if you live near your parents! Grandparents that live nearby should be included within your emergency plan! Living near your parents allows for consistency which is helpful for all involved. The opportunities for help you can receive from them is endless.
TIP: Make sure your parents are on the pick up list for your child’s school so they are able to help in the event of an emergency!
Benefits for Children
Nobody will care for and love your children like you do- except for your parents. They have waited their entire life for you to make them a grandparent! After all, your children are their baby’s babies! Your children become your parents’ pride and joy! Who would not want someone to swoon over their child with endless love and genuine affection? Having a strong bond with a grandparent allows a child to have a stronger sense of security and something additional to look forward to. Fun experiences with grandparents provide memories to cherish for a lifetime. So many children rarely see their grandparents or do not know them well at all. Living near your parents omits this harsh reality.
Read how your stress level impacts your child here.
Benefits for Grandparents
You can provide your parents with a sense of purpose and belonging merely by living near them. They will have a newfound purpose for living their life when they become regularly involved in your child’s life. Studies show that being nearby grandchildren keeps the elderly young. They, too, will benefit greatly from having you nearby. Just as they are there to help you out with whatever you may need, you should be readily available to help them in an emergency or as needed. The circle of life is truly evident when you are living near your parents. As much as they cared for you throughout your entire life, it is your duty to care for them as they age.
Putting Life Into Perspective
Having your parents close by reminds you what really matters in life. Being there to support and love one another is a crucial part of familial life. If you have this, or have the opportunity to attain this, go for it and cherish every moment. When your parents are no longer with you, you will be so grateful that you and your children had these special moments and precious times together.
Having you and your children nearby can help your sick parent through an awful illness. Imagine your father is diagnosed with Stage 4 Colon Cancer and given six to twelve months to live- tops. This was my heartbreaking reality in June 2007. Miraculously, he lived until August 2014. Although I did not yet have children, my sister did. I watched as my infant niece went to his treatments and oncology appointments. She gave him a deeper reason to fight. He wanted to be there to watch her grow and he was. Being so close to his grand baby had a huge impact on my father’s fight. Having his children and grandchild nearby was his saving grace. After he passed, I remained living next-door to my mother. I imagined I would be there to help her get back on her feet. I was wrong! She has been there for me every day, just as she has been my entire life and is the greatest blessing. I now know my mother’s love since becoming a mother, myself. Living near my mother has allowed my daughter to receive endless love from her each day. Although my daughter never met my father, my mother is all she needs in a grandparent and she has filled every void.
Living near your parents equates never having to go into panic mode. They will be within reach whether you face an emergency, get stuck at work, or merely need an hour to yourself! Their willingness to help will be unmatched! Everyone involved will benefit when you live near your parents.
WANT TO READ MORE?
Want to read more about having your parents nearby? Find what you can learn while watching your parents grandparent here.
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