On equipment needs:

You can go crazy buying “things” you think you or they need, so my suggestion is that you think carefully about what you truly need, ask other grandparents what they have found to be most necessary/helpful, and remember that whatever you buy/build/borrow, you have to store!

My sister-in-law gave us a little canvas rocker with her son’s name embroidered onto the back. A friend stopped by and saw it on the porch and asked, “Who had another child while I wasn’t paying attention?” When you have 9 grandchildren in 10 years, I suppose it could happen…..
Anyhow, they all love to sit in this chair, even though the name doesn’t belong to any of them, and even though the older ones can no longer physically fit into it. Someone else gave us a little wooden rocker, and usually it is a first come, first served basis if they are gathering to watch t.v. Of course, there have been arguments, and we take turns, draw straws, or just simply distract. Our recliners can hold two small bodies each, and we keep soft fleece blankets or throws handy for curling up on the sofas.

One particularly useful purchase is either a booster seat, or a portable high chair that actually sits on the floor. It has a tray, and a base seat, but no legs. When the child is older, the tray can be removed and the seat placed on a regular chair. Places like K-Mart and Wal-Mart have these reasonably priced, or you can try yard sales. Be sure to clean thoroughly if you are buying previously owned goods.

As you can see in the pictures above, a small table and chairs set holds the smaller high chair graduates, and a wading pool is lots of fun for those unable to go in the larger pool unattended. No matter how many seats you have, someone will always want what someone else has, so you will need to develop strategies for resolving these conflicts. When more than one family is present, it can get sticky, trying to arbitrate who had it first, who has it next, who wrested it away from whom and how an injury occurred. You are not the sole judge and jury, even in your own domain (especially if the real parents are present!), so don’t expect that your word or method will be taken as law. If you can anticipate difficulties and produce a system for sharing, that might help.

Unless you are going to have children with you regularly, you may not need to purchase a stroller. We have our own children bring it with them whenever we have them overnight, or even for a whole day if we plan to walk to playgrounds or the library. We keep one of the old "umbrollers" in the garage for emergencies, and somewhere along the way we acquired a single seater which has sufficed on the rare occasions when we have had only one child.

Children like to know boundaries. Then they also like to expand them, or see how flexible they are. Some parenting philosophies today espouse not using the word “no”. Some believe it is damaging to psyches, or self-esteem, or maybe it's growth patterns. Be sure if you say it, to keep your volume down and your tone modulated, otherwise you will be in trouble for “yelling”. I often err here, so do as I say, not as I am wont to do!

Aside from the bikes, other riding “things” and helmets mentioned in an earlier blog, things we have found helpful to have are a port-a-crib (or regular one, if you have the room), at least one large storage bin for toys, a place for craft/art supplies, a high chair, some type of “bouncy” seat in which to place an infant who has become somewhat mobile and needs containment if he/she is to be left alone even for a moment, tub toys (to be addressed in a future posting), a sprinkler and/or wading pool, and folding gate or some barrier to block dangerous stairs or even single steps down. We keep a few diapers of every size, a small tube of cream, a small package of wipes, several “sippy” cups, a spare pacifier (binky, plug) or two (best to see what kind is being used as they have proliferated like floss, and infants used to one type could reject your replacement, resulting in an inconsolable, sobbing baby). We have Arrowroot cookies, small containers of applesauce and juice boxes. A future posting will deal more specifically with other foods and other food strategies.

For outside, in addition to bubbles, we have a red wagon for touring the neighborhood or weary toddlers on Halloween night, sidewalk chalk for drawing on the driveways and hopscotch, batons for marching parades, jump ropes, balls for all kinds of games (soccer, catch, etc.), badminton rackets and birdies for just battin’ around, and some large, durable trucks for play in the grass. Paddles with elasticized balls and yo yos can be challenging. Almost all of these things can be purchased inexpensively at bargain stores or yard sales. We buy the bubble mix in huge containers, or you can go online and find a recipe for one to make at home.

The kids love to play with empty boxes, pots and pans and stainless steel bowls, tablecloths over card tables or dining room or kitchen table, two chairs pushed together to make a space ship or boat, and dozens of other things you have around the house. You may have to show them once or twice how to build a fort or adapt a piece of furniture so it becomes a castle or dungeon or impenetrable fortress, but they will quickly catch on. Be sure to have your camera armed and poised, because these moments provide some of the best shots you will ever get.

Tip #5: Even keeping equipment to a minimum requires creative forethought as to both selection, storage and self-control The one thing that seriously constrains what I acquire is knowing that I then have to find a place for it. I learned this the hard way, so let me have learned it for you!