The dreaded day is nearing, and you have no way to stop it. Your in-laws are due for a visit in your Bromley house, and you know they will have high expectations. When you are sending your offspring off to marry someone you may not have known before the relationship, you have fears, and you do not want those fears realised. You may feel the same way if you become the in-law of someone someday.
This knowledge can help you prepare for your spouse’s parents’ arrival by putting yourself in their shoes. Here are some tasks to get started on:
Upholstery Cleaning
You do not need a picture-perfect household just for the in-laws. They too have a life, and they know there will be a mess here and there. However, if you were visiting someone else’s house, you expect them to at least have clean furniture with no mysteriously sticky surfaces, especially if they have children in the house. Now, if you would expect that yourself, you will want to exert effort into cleaning your own house to avoid judgmental stares from the in-laws. The state of household upholstery can be tackled easily enough if you call in upholstery cleaning services to take care of this for you.
For this part of house preparation, you do not need to DIY the cleaning, as there are a million other tasks for you to handle by yourself. Of course, whether or not you tell your spouse’s mother that you got a little help is entirely up to you.
Menu Planning
One thing any visitor says not to worry about, but hosts worry about anyway, is the food. You would, of course, have to feed your in-laws, who are part of your extended family now thanks to that precious little thing called a marriage license. The subject of cooking can be stressful for families, as opposing tastes and family recipes may be put to the test. If there is a particular dish you are fond of and you follow a recipe passed down generations in your family, know whether there is a different recipe for the same dish your spouse’s family is used to. Their visit need not be turned into a battle of whose lasagna recipe is better, and if you compete with a dish they are fond of, it might send the wrong message.
There is the option to have food catered, but it will be hard to hide the fact that you are not the one cooking if your visitors will be staying in the house. Luckily, you can turn meal preparation into a bonding opportunity instead of a point of contention. Your mother-in-law will appreciate if you let them help out in the kitchen and the resulting feast will not receive any criticism from any side of the family.
Guest Rooom Designing
Your guests are used to having the master bedroom in their home, which may make you feel like you need to give them a grand guest room. You do not have to abandon the master bedroom if there is a perfectly adequate guest room just waiting to be occupied. It is your home, and this is a good way to tell them that, though you respect their help and value their opinion, your marriage will follow its course without their control.
Still, be a good host and clean the guest room thoroughly before you show it to your in-laws. Fresh bedding is a must, and toiletries should also be within easy access. You want them to feel at home as much as possible.
Every married couple will always dread the visit from their spouse’s parents. Keep a level head and do what you can, but get help if you must.
