How to Get Along with Your Husband's Relatives on the Dacha

You can set up boundaries with neighbors. Noisy visits from relatives or the need to share your own territory for an extended time can unsettle some people. Is this a familiar situation? We have solutions.

First of all — children

It is useless to explain to young children, especially those under school age, that there are boundaries of personal space, privacy, and the right to solitude. Besides, they need supervision.

Luckily, there is water, sand, and other joys available in the countryside that city kids often lack — these are sometimes more valuable than purchased toys.

Provide children with play areas where they can enjoy themselves to the fullest. Little ones love building huts from blankets and throws: provide them with a frame and help drive stakes into the ground. Older kids might enjoy making hammocks, kites, fishing nets, or fishing rods. Teenagers can be invited to help lay out mosaic tiles for garden paths. They might also be interested in setting up an outdoor corner and doing a photoshoot for selfies.

Men, oh men

It's great if some habits of brothers-in-law and in-laws bring benefits to others. But if not, it can be arranged. Men can do a lot: hint that they have plenty of opportunities to enjoy themselves in the barbecue area, garage, or workshop.

Sometimes this brings noticeable benefits: set up a summer kitchen or even build a pizza oven, make furniture by hand. Chop firewood in the end.

Favourite mother-in-law

Two housekeepers in one home is difficult. But it's possible if you accept help gratefully and channel energy into peaceful streams. Study the habits and inclinations of your husband’s mother. Does she like tending the garden? Let her take care of salad and greens for the common table. Does she have a natural gift for teaching? She can entertain the kids. Is she a culinary genius? Perfect, then there will be enough pies and you just need to provide drinks and music.

Organize space

There are many ways to separate groups of people in the garden, around the house, and inside it so that no one suffers from noise and each person can live at their own pace.

It's ideal if the veranda or terrace wraps around the house on all sides. Then you can set up a living room outdoors and a breakfast nook in different zones of it. Perhaps, you're at the stage of building or renovating your home and have planned various entrances? That’s wise.

In other cases, landscaping techniques and solutions for improving sound insulation and creating shade come in handy. As the saying goes, out of sight, out of mind, and that makes for a calmer mood.

Want to have barbecues in comfort?

We tell you how to set up a cozy spot for gatherings on the dacha

Find your sanctuary

Everyone needs moments (or hours) of silence and peace. It’s just important to be honest and open about it, set rules, and define boundaries that shouldn’t be crossed.

"I'm in the cabin" — a solution for everyone from little to big. The "do not disturb" sign can be a garden hat on the door handle, an aromatic candle, or a basket for knitting.

Escape the hustle in a studio in the backyard converted from a shed or in a greenhouse. Set aside a study in the attic or under the stairs. Equip a nook with a bed and a quiet resting place in the shade. A woven "nest" or a treehouse — solutions can be found for any taste.