When an adult child returns home...

OK...you hear the stats...more adult children living at home or returning home after life changing events.  So while I was off in NC enjoying my empty nest status and working on my research for the dissertation phase of my doctoral program...events happened. I am thankful to the US Army that taught me to AIO - Adapt, Implement, and Overcome. 


Got it...I am one of many members of the sandwich generation who are responsible for taking in, caring for, supporting in one form or another a parent and an adult child...who has a child.


I know as I returned to Georgia my family was waiting on the hammer to drop...but I took it a step at a time...give it 30 days, assess and analyze the situation, provide some solutions, pray, and continue to move forward.


So one of the recommendations was to develop a family contract. Most people who know me know that I do not have a problem developing or enforcing a standard. So here is the ed techie portion of the blog...a Google Doc with a modifiable family contract.This may or may not be new to many parents and even adult children...but life is full of learning opportunities and teachable moments for all parties involved. If you have some recommendations, think I created an unreasonable document...leave a comment...after all it is the Internet and someone you know may have been or may be going through this type of situation. You can scroll through the embedded Google Doc below or go straight the Google Docs template, create a copy and modify for your situation.

As with the Google Doc, the disclaimer states the doc is not a legal document, just a documented family agreement. As with all posts, your comments, recommendations, or even checking one of the reaction boxes is appreciated.

Out with the old and in with the new

Happy 2010!

As many people are bringing in the new year in a variety of methods, some people are resolving to downsize by getting rid of things and supporting the old adage "out with the old and in with the new". One way to help others get rid of the old without removing the memory or the personal history is to integrate technology. Capture the personal memories, experiences, and history with the technology available today. This can be an individual, family, or community project and become a shared learning experience for all participants.

Maybe grandparents or parents are not the techsperts, but every family has at least one gadget girl or guy or self proclaimed social networking geek. Where do you start? Wherever you want. Tomorrow is not promised...so if you lost everything and everyone tomorrow, are there certain things you would want to share?

The knick knacks on the shelves...where did they come from? Why are they on the shelf? Do the knick knacks have more family history than what can be seen on the shelf? Why not spend some quality family time and capture the memories for the future?

Not everyone is ready to go public...so why not start a family blog? Not ready to share with the whole family? Start on the home computer. Use the KISS (Keep It Short and Sweet) method to empower the participants. Model or demonstrate your favorite sites or how you have created a piece of cyberspace for your personal history.

I broke 3 of my own picture frames and took it as a sign to scan the pictures. I moved many things that my mother has collected over the years. While I could explain some of the pictures to my daughter, I wondered...What if some of these knick knacks were displayed digitally with the history and personal memories associated with it?

I know my mother is not ready to be a public blogger...yet, she subscribes to blogs using RSS and even posts a comment when the mood strikes. She still journals with pen and paper. I know this blog post won't get her started but it may plant a seed.

If you do this with items for tax donations or high value items for insurance purposes...why not store the high value memories for posterity before a significant emotional event (SEE)? Turn the event into a significant emotional educational event (SEEE) for everyone.

If you have helped a family or community member downsize their things by integrating technology, please share your ideas, successes, and lessons learned.