A Reader asks: "How would
you blend a family with kids 15, 13, 8, and 4 year old twins?"
Shirley
Cress Dudley responds: I admit
I had some help on this one. I asked my 16 and 18 year old what
kinds of things they do, when they are visiting their Dad, and their 3 year old
half-brother. Here's what we came up with:
- Watching kid's shows are fun. (My teenage kids can sing the
songs from Bob the Builder and other TV shows.)
- Going to a drive-in movie together (G rated or animated.) Get
out the blankets and the snacks and make it a fun evening. If the
little ones fall asleep early, you can even watch a double feature (maybe
PG?) after the younger ones fall asleep.
- Family night- order a pizza, rent a movie and watch it together.
- Holiday Activities- decorate the Christmas tree together, dye
Easter eggs, carve pumpkins (little ones use markers to decorate pumpkins)
And basically, do
anything you can, together, as a family-
- Prepare the meal (little ones set the table or put out napkins)
- Clean up after dinner (little ones carry silver wear back to the
sink
- Wash the car
- Clean the house (little ones can "dust" and carry little loads of
laundry to the laundry room
Good luck to you, in blending your various
ages of children. Just treat them fairly, love them all, and they will
follow your example and be good siblings to each other.
For more information, Read 52 Fun
Things to Do under $25.