Works For Me: Grandkids' Room

No, I'm not a grandparent--not yet.  (Though if the bizarre popping noise my knees make when I climb my stairs is any indication, an invitation from AARP should be arriving any day.)

I've mentioned that my parents have recently moved to our city.  It has been absolutely delightful, and my children have eagerly set up shop at their House of Endless Chewing Gum.  And my parents, knowing that there would be a steady stream of Dryer kids funneling through, had the good sense to turn one of their bedrooms into a "grandkids room".  It's still a bedroom, but it contains my old dollhouse and my brothers' old Star Wars toys, with a few new things thrown in.

But the most brilliant thing about it is an idea my mom implemented.  She actually told me I had to share this with all of you because she says "it's the only good idea" she's ever come up with.  Which doesn't say a whole lot about what she thought of giving birth to me, but as long as she continues to provide free babysitting, I can get over it.

Anyhoo, my parents' six grandkids are regularly coming to their house and leaving a trail of drawings, and there's only so much one refrigerator door can hold, even a grandmother's.  So my mom bought six bulletin boards, one for each grandchild, and she painted the frames bright red.  Then for each grandchild she bought one of those unfinished wood initals you can buy at any craft store.  (Thankfully, each grandchild has a different first initial, which makes it easy.) 

She painted each intial and has attached it to its own bulletin board, and all six of them line the walls.  Now when grandkids come over and draw another "treasure", there's a place to put them.  And the kids are all thrilled that their creations are being used to decorate the room.  (I know it would really work for you if I'd include a picture, but that would've required forethought and planning, and I'm all out of that these days.  Sorry!) 

If you have a fun idea you'd like to share with Bloggityville, leave your link below.  WFMW guidelines can be found here.  Remember, link directly to your WFMW post, not to the front page of your blog.

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Comments

[An Ordinary Mom]

Just post a picture next week :) !!

[Kelly @ PTT]

I know EXACTLY the popping noise you're talking about. My husband says I need a lube job.

[ellen b]

What a great idea.! Hats off to one smart grandmother...

[Mandy Houk]

Oh, I love that idea. My two girls are the only young grandkids on either side, so that would be a pretty easy thing to implement. Yay!

[Beth @ The Natural Mommy]

Sorry for the double linkage - blame the fact that I'm one-handed due to the infant who won't let me put him down!

As a matter of fact - my whole WFMW post was typed one-handed.

Admire me

:-p

[diatribal]

That's great!! I will remember to tell my mom that.

I love the "endless chewing gum". To this day, my grandma always has gum for me and my sister. I will always think of her when I see a pack of Trident!

[Lynnae (From Under the Clutter)]

That is such a great idea! I never would have thought of it. Your mom is brilliant!

[Overwhelmed With Joy!]

Hey, your mom came up with a GREAT idea! Thanks for sharing.

[Proverbs31]

I love that idea! I thought of doing something similar in the school room/playroom/baby's room =P But I hadn't thought about the initial thing - that's awesome. Thanks!

[Michelle at Scribbit]

My grandmother had a chalkboard we used to use but this is even better!

[Emily]

What a very lovely idea! I think I'll suggest it to my mom and mother-in-law.

[Corrie]

I don't know if my grandma's house is big enough, she would've had to have 56 bulletin boards.

It's a great idea.

[Macy]

Fantastic idea. I'm telling all the grandmothers I know.

[Kathy in WA]

Wow! This is an excellent idea! I love it. I'm definitely going to steal this. What a great way to present and organize the beautiful artwork that is constant and overflowing. Tell her thanks!!!

[Dot]

That is really neat. Wish I'd seen this tip when my children were younger and drawing everyday. I did something similar, but it was in their rooms and would have been nice together in another room where I could enjoy them more.

[Sasha]

I should do that for my kids. If only I had a wall. Right now the game room is covered with educational posters that they are using. I know maybe I will put them in their bedrooms so we can display their stuff in their rooms; help to make their rooms more of an expression of themselves. Great idea!

[Tammy]

You mentioned AARP ealier so I will make a funny commnet about it-I was born in 1959,but in 2006 I was sent a letter welcoming me to AARP.I sent the invitation back and told them to correct their computer.I figured that they transposed the 9 and 6!

I don't have grandkids either,but when we lived in a rural ara of Alalbama 13 years ago I was at the OB office I would see teenage daughters coming in with thei rmoms who were going to be grandmothers-at 35 and I was expecting our second child!!

[Jodi]

I love it!!! I'm an Art Therapist and for moms we can keep treasured art in portfolios home made with foam core or bought at the craft store in the art supply section. Or take photos of them and place them in a collage type picture frame...sometimes space is the issue. But for a Grandparent to have such space and use it to such a wonderful self-esteem enhancing way for the children is amazing!!! For your mom to have come up with this idea, she must have had more over the years, tell her to be gentle with herself. And for the knees...there is always motrin...i have a broken patella and the crunching is scary too...ahhh maybe the kids keep us young at heart but my body is aging before me and it's so scary. Thanks for all you do!

[warillever]

The bulletin boards sound like a great idea. Decorative and fun!

[Robin]

SHANNON!!! This is not a WFM comment, but WAAHOOOO on being the TypePad featured blogger yesterday!! I just saw it (I really wasn't around the blogosphere much yesterday). I have no idea what the criteria is for that, but CONGRATULATIONS. Sounds like a big deal to me!

:)

Happy Wednesday!

[Lorraine]

Just a ?? Did you play ball in high school?? Just curious.

I've got the same popping noises, and mild osteoarthitis in my knees and hips which goes back to bad coaching in high school.

Between my bad knees and hips, my carpal tunnel, my foot problem (thank you tile floors in Italy), and my back problems (three kids, all back labor. fun)... I tell my DH, I'm a 30 year old trapped in a 60 year old body.

[jen]

Every time I climb the stairs at my house...my knees pop and pop....I'm only 32....it stinks....I participated today...its been awhile....thanks as always for doing this....I look forward to it every week...I even have non bloggers looking forward to it weekly.

[Amy]

Sounds like something I need to do in my house! Thanks!

[Tara]

THAT is a GREAT! idea! I'm going to use it (if that's okay with Gramma Dryer) as a MOPS craft. Wonderful Good! Thank You!

[Emily]

I love your mom's idea! Sounds like a great way to organize the never-ending pictures.

Our WFMW is about the SnugTuck Pillow and there's a coupon code! :)