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| The aftermath of college kids and grapes |
The kitchen
was quiet, the lights were off. The floor creaked as I stepped across the
linoleum to turn on a light. A quick flick of the switch…and POOF, it was as
though I had been sucked into a time zone. It was 30 years ago sharing a house
with five other girls, and it was DISH NIGHT. Pots with dried cheese, plates
piled high, cups all over the counter. We all hated dish night.
My kitchen
present-day, housed dishes in the sink and a cluster of dried-out brittle grape
vines lay on the countertop. The grapes of wrath. This was a true tell-tale
sign that my sons were home from college. One of them pulled all the grapes from
the vine, washed them in a colander and left the remnants for me to discover.
It’s a joy
to have everyone home for spring break, but it requires readjustment after the
cherubs have been out of the nest for a while. There are multiple sets of shoes
near the front door, jackets thrown over the arm of the couch, and pizza boxes
that never seem to make it to the trash. How do you handle the short visit?
Here are 3
tips for surviving spring break with college kids home:
1. Reestablish house rules – try this
mantra, “if you mess it up, you clean it up”
2. Spend time together outside of home –
go to a movie together, bowling, indoor golf, etc.
3. Make it memorable – whatever that
means to you; make it fun
At the end
of the week, the last child grabs his backpack and laundry bag and tosses them
into his car. He waves to his Mama Bear as he backs out of the driveway. You
smile from the doorway of your home as you ease the door closed. Your kitchen
is clean once again, the floor creaks beneath your slow, quiet steps. No grapevines, no mess. You survived a visit from your college kids…this time.
What do you
do to survive a visit from college kids?
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