‘Honey, I drywalled the kids!’

Home renovation is never a picnic in the park. Adding young children to the equation makes it a whole new adventure, especially if you decide to literally live through it by staying in your house during construction. It may seem next to impossible, but two ‘renovation warrior’ moms say a little creative planning and a lot of flexibility are the secrets to a successful project

When Lynda Fortier stood in her kitchen last November, drenched from a downpour of cold, stinky water running down from a gaping hole in her new roof, she did the opposite of what many homeowners would have done. Instead of panicking, the mother of three, decided nothing would dampen her enthusiasm for the two-storey addition being built over her garage. “I just kept looking towards the final result,” says

Fortier, 42. “It’s all part of living in your house during renovations.”

Everyone told Maureen McDonald* to move her husband and three sons, aged 6, 3 and 18 months, into her parents’ home last December while a two-storey extension was being added onto her 1950s split level house. Instead, she chose to stay put.

“People thought we were crazy,” recalls McDonald, 34. “But I didn’t want my family to be displaced. If it’s important for you to stay in your house, find a contractor who is fully willing work with you living there.”

McDonald says preparing her boys was easy. “We told them that it was going to be a big adventure. We moved everything into the garage, so I made sure I had everyone’s favourite toys and books.”

Fortier splurged on clear plastic containers with covers. “I wrote down what was in each box to make it easy to access everything,” she says.
McDonald’s contractor set up a temporary kitchen in her laundry room, installing her dishwasher near an existing sink. “We lived in the basement and our bedrooms for two months, because that’s all we had access to. The kids ate pizza, macaroni, or anything that could be made on the hotplate,” says McDonald, who also scored meals at friends’ homes whenever she could.

Over the 10 weeks of construction, noise and dust became part of the family’s daily routine. Keeping your house safe for your children during renovations is essential, says McDonald. “Our construction crew was very conscientious about us living there. At the end of the day, their stuff was nowhere to be found.”

Having family-friendly contractors is key, says Fortier, who requested afternoon ‘quiet time’ so her young daughters, aged three and 18 months, could sleep.

Even with a dream team of construction workers and no major surprises, the upheaval associated with home renovation can take its toll on children. McDonald, a clinical psychologist, suggests considering whether your children’s’ personalities can withstand the upheaval.

“Many children have difficulty dealing with change, especially in their own home, which is supposed to be their comfortable environment,” explains McDonald. “My kids were able to step out of their comfort zones.”

McDonald also warns that the ‘adventure phase’ wears off pretty quickly. “My kids were fed up after three months, and wanted everything back in order,” she recalls. “You make it as fun as you can, but the reality is, they’re stuck on top of each other, they can’t have the foods they want, and everyone’s stressed.”

Fortier found a great way to deal with the toughest phase of her renovation. “By the very end, I was totally burnt out, and needed somebody else to cook for me. So we went to St. Martin for two weeks. Renovating is a compromise for everyone, but I think it’s worth it,” says Fortier.

*Name changed upon request

Wendy Helfenbaum is a writer and television producer (www.taketwoproductions.ca) who would never attempt the slightest form of home renovation with her preschooler in tow, and that includes changing a light bulb.