How to Manage Family Visits
Ah, the ‘rents. We love them, we appreciate them and we can’t wait to see them. However, their visits can be overwhelming. To best manage their next visit, we’ve put together our best tips and tricks to make your time together as smooth as possible.
Ground rule: know your limits
First things first, you’ll need to pick a stress-free time for your family to visit. Don’t invite or allow family to visit you during midterms, finals, the week of a big deadline, an event or another large occasion on your calendar. It’s best to plan around your schedule to find a time that works best for you. After all, you’ll be the one hosting them during this time period.
Our biggest tip to keep the peace is… to plan time apart. Everyone is going to need breathers from each other and the activities planned, so account for some down time. It's best to physically write this into your plans so your family members aren’t drained from constant go, go, go.
On the topic of time apart, if your family is visiting for four days or more, we recommend accounting for solo adventures. Maybe one family member wants to go to a historical site, another to a shopping center and another wants to hang back. It’s best to honor everyone's wishes and interests and allow this to happen. By dinner you’ll have a happy crew and different days to discuss.
Be realistic about what you can do and give during their stay
Lay it out for everyone, and make an itinerary. This sounds a little over the top, but we find that everyone's functions best with a clear plan. Not every second should be planned, but providing an itinerary or shared calendar with your class schedule/non-negotiables, intended activities and down-time tends to ease anxiety. Only you know how much you can do in a day in your neighborhood, and this will give your guests a clear idea of what they should pack for and expect.
When family comes into town, don’t abandon your entire routine. Try your best to work them into your existing routine to keep some sense of normalcy. If you religiously go to hot yoga on Sunday mornings and have family in town, throw it on the itinerary as an offering for everyone to join! I did this the last time my Dad came into town, and not only did he join Sunday morning yoga, but he loved it. It’s important to dedicate time to the things that keep you sane, like yoga, especially while hosting. More importantly, when your family leaves, you’ll feel less out of whack if you upkeep the parts of your routine that are important to you.
Take a deep breath and have fun!
Having family in town can be stressful. We all have different family dynamics to keep in mind, and managing it can be overwhelming. Take a deep breath, prepare for their visit and know that everything will be okay. We’ve all juggled family members in and out of The Drury Inn, and you can too.