Five Tips on How to Enjoy Your Houseguest
When having someone stay in your home, there are five simple but very important things to do when starting their time with you. It is important to provide the opportunity to be away from the family when they need to, and it is also important to help them know how to spend time amongst your family members by doing these five things.
Give them a separate space and bathroom, if you can. It takes some pretty special people to be able to have a houseguest share their space 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You and your houseguest will enjoy a lot of time together for the first few days you spend with each other in your home, but after a while, you will both need to have time and space away from each other. Some of this depends on personalities, and introverts (people who are energized by being alone and away from people) will need more time and space alone than extroverts (people who are energized by being with people). If your guest is staying on a long-term basis, this will go a long way towards keeping your relationship strong.
Include them in the family's meals. It is a scientifically established fact that families who eat together stay together in the long run. If you have a guest in your home, treat them as one of the family, and make sure you are having family meals yourself. This is the first step towards being transparent with someone. If they see how you relate to each other and to them during meals, they will know how to fit into your family structure and daily life.
Let them know your house rules. Boundaries are important to any relationship, and no matter how well you know someone, you don't really know them until you live them. Some rules that are important to establish is helping out with cleaning up their own dishes, wiping up around the bathroom when they use it, when and where to put their clothes in for a wash, how to use the TV remote without resetting the system and any food or other items that are off-limits because they belong to someone in the family.
Have a definite timeframe for their stay. If you do not start with a specific time limit on how long they can stay, things can get uncomfortable after a couple of weeks. Your guest will become more unsure of where they stand in your home, and you may be come resentful. If they know what to expect, both you and they can make plans.
Part early to stay friendly. It is better to send a guest away early and keep the possibility for a relationship in the future. You should know your limits and end the stay before any conflicts arise to damage your friendship.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mary_Billingham
Give them a separate space and bathroom, if you can. It takes some pretty special people to be able to have a houseguest share their space 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You and your houseguest will enjoy a lot of time together for the first few days you spend with each other in your home, but after a while, you will both need to have time and space away from each other. Some of this depends on personalities, and introverts (people who are energized by being alone and away from people) will need more time and space alone than extroverts (people who are energized by being with people). If your guest is staying on a long-term basis, this will go a long way towards keeping your relationship strong.
Include them in the family's meals. It is a scientifically established fact that families who eat together stay together in the long run. If you have a guest in your home, treat them as one of the family, and make sure you are having family meals yourself. This is the first step towards being transparent with someone. If they see how you relate to each other and to them during meals, they will know how to fit into your family structure and daily life.
Let them know your house rules. Boundaries are important to any relationship, and no matter how well you know someone, you don't really know them until you live them. Some rules that are important to establish is helping out with cleaning up their own dishes, wiping up around the bathroom when they use it, when and where to put their clothes in for a wash, how to use the TV remote without resetting the system and any food or other items that are off-limits because they belong to someone in the family.
Have a definite timeframe for their stay. If you do not start with a specific time limit on how long they can stay, things can get uncomfortable after a couple of weeks. Your guest will become more unsure of where they stand in your home, and you may be come resentful. If they know what to expect, both you and they can make plans.
Part early to stay friendly. It is better to send a guest away early and keep the possibility for a relationship in the future. You should know your limits and end the stay before any conflicts arise to damage your friendship.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mary_Billingham
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