Fourbabies

Here is a perspective for your future, like 25 years from now: my husband and I have four adult children and we were just longing for “the good old days when they were toddlers or grade school aged.” Broken hearts, stalled careers, fertility concerns and “failure to launch” are the reality of grown children! I clearly remember wondering when the constant worry would end and I have realized that it never does! Parenting is a life long journey; the issues change but the “worry bots” never go away.

(I am assuming that the same group meets regularly and you just rotate hosting duties)

Address all the parents and say something like: “I’m wondering what we should do if something gets damaged at one of our homes? Should the responsible family offer to pay to replace/repair it or should we all contribute to a “damage” fund that can be used under such circumstances? What do you all think?”

By addressing the entire group the “offending” family will not feel targeted (but maybe a little guilty!) and other adults may offer additional suggestions that would work.

Hello! I don’t fit the traditional demographic here as I am the mother of four grown children (born in 1990, 1992, 1994 and 1996!) I look back on those crazy years raising children with tremendous fondness (and perhaps some amnesia). I returned to graduate school when my eldest started high school and currently work as a master’s-level psychotherapist in the Boston suburbs. I love working with teens, young adults and couples. I so wish resources like Parent Data were available when I was in the thick of parenting, but we all do our best with what we know at the time! Raising children has been and always will be one of the most challenging jobs and finding support and community makes it just a little easier.