Family coming from overseas! Excited! Overwhelmed!

[Anonymous]

Hi all. Please excuse the surplus exclamation points. My brother and his family, including two small kids (kindergartener and toddler), are coming to visit us this spring, and will be staying with us. Unfortunately, this visit doesn't coincide with my teen's spring break at all, and school will be in session for him.

Although we are emotionally very close, we hardly ever see each other face to face as travel is prohibitively expensive for us on both sides. So, I'd love your $.02 on the following;

I'm really OK with letting my son stay home for a few days from school to hang with family. He's a good student and will stay on top of his work and grades. I don't know about the entire week, though. WWYD? He adores his uncle and could really use the time with him. He also adores his little cousins, and they think he is the coolest.

What would you do in DC during the week in mid spring with kids this age and their folks besides museums and the zoo? (Those are a given)

Why do I live in a house with only one bathroom?

[Anonymous]

...did I mention our house is currently in a state of minor construction? I meant to. we have 'til they visit to get it together.

[Anonymous]

I say let him stay home if he wants. Believe me family is more important than school in the scheme of life. You can't get that time back.

To make it easier, try to prepare meals in advance and freeze. Just cave and buy prepared stuff as well. Stock up on TP, paper towels, consider using paper plates/plasticware some of the time although you may not need to if only 4 are coming. Also lunch and breakfast foods, snacks for the kids - ask them ahead of time what the kids like for meals/snacks/drinks.

Have fun! Remember to plan only 1 outing a day with the little ones.

[Anonymous]

Let him choose. At least let him take a day or two off and/or plan a special day that he can join in on.

Will they be here for cherry blossoms? Are they used to cold? When are they coming?

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks. They will be coming after the cherry blossoms, unfortunately. This area is much warmer than where they live.

[Anonymous]

I would wait until they come to decide his plans. By then he can judge days which will have lighter schedule so he'll miss less work. You can also judge their schedules better too. Maybe they will be slow getting rolling in the mornings so he will be able to go in and get some class work done and come home at lunchtime. Other days he could skip all together.

Enjoy the visit!