Well it’s here full force. Construction. Is. Here.
We officially broke ground and took off about a month ago.
Our 1st step – Knock down the 3rd building and get that pool out of there.
With the pool drained and prepared for demo, the third building is pulled down.
Now you see it, now you don’t. Pool took 4 days to demolish, dig out and fill in. Now with all the debris hauled away we can really see some usable space.
Oh it was so rewarding. Just look at how great the space is already! But…at 7am that jack hammer tractor thing and I will not be friends. At all. Which brings me to my next point – construction with kids.
I will start by saying that the silver lining is that it is NOT inside the house thank goodness. By nature I am a “It is what it is” person. BUT having everyone bitterly woken up at 7am by the jarring sounds of a jack hammer, sledge hammers and saws – plus the dog barking at the sounds – right outside their bedroom windows was yielding some very, VERY cranky and unpleasant boys. Bitter morning kids = Not working for me either. So I had to make a decision – was it more important to keep the project on time or should I put my foot down and tell them they could not start working until 8am each morning? Time is money and all that stuff…
Well, turns out my neighbors (whom we like!) helped push me along. They began to complain. You see, they have toddlers. You think my mornings were bad? Ever dealt with toddlers woken up before they’re ready? No thank you.
So, I made the call to my contractor and off I went to the Land of Compromise. In the end, we decided that there would be no noise before 8am. The guys can start on non-machinery type things but nothing that would wake children out of a sound and much needed sleep. Thank goodness. We worked it out rather easily.
I believe that when dealing with construction and kids there are 2 things to remember:
1) It is YOUR house. Many people feel that they have to do whatever the builders want since they aren’t the experts. They don’t want to rock the boat and decide they’ll live with any problems that arise – because “that’s how construction goes.” Well…I’m a boat rocker (when I need to be). Many times as the designer on a project I’ll become the homeowner’s advocate for changes in work hours, conditions, whatever it is that needs to be addressed. I firmly believe that there is nothing wrong with this as long as you are reasonable. Do not be held hostage in your own house.
2) Work with your children. Here are a few ideas that may be helpful:
- Let the kids be involved in the planning (in any small sort of way) so that they know what’s coming.
- Depending on their age, make some sort of daily or weekly “What happened today with the construction” chart, have a dinnertime meeting or show them pictures so they feel like there’s some benefit to the noise, dirt, dust and inconvenience.
- Discuss schedules, noise and routine changes with them and gauge their acceptance or resistance to it. If you see problems starting to flare – refer to point #1.
Yes, construction is by nature inconvenient. But there is always room for reasonable negotiation. Don’t be afraid to talk to your contractor or builder and let them know when things aren’t working for your family.
edit. your. life. 