This is my first time hosting!
We are hosting my pregnant SIL and her family for pesach. I'm really nervous. Pesach is so much work and it will be a lot of people in a small space. We do not eat processed foods so food is a big project. SIL will not be helping because she is having a really hard pregnancy, her husband is pretty helpful in general.
Any tips?
The small space thing is really hard, you are a really nice sil for having them!
This is what helps me:
1) get as much cleaning help as possible, on yt too.
2) use disposables as much as you can
3) if your sil can’t cook, would she take care of something else like ordering paper goods or something?
4) try to do as much cooking as possible before yt so that on yt, you’re not trying to get things done in a small space with people all around.
5) get yourself a gift for all your hard work!! Whatever it is that will make you feel like a mentch and not a shmatta.
Here’s what I did when I was in a very similar situation.
1. Together with my sister in law, about two weeks before pesach we made a menu for every single meal. Even if it’s the same food. Then together we figured out how much we need for each menu. Example: My family eats two chickens per meal, SIL family three. That meal needs five chickens. I do 5 lbs of potatoes SIL family does three. So I had no guessing to do when shopping, or cooking each meal.
2. I hung up the menu on the wall. When her husband was able to help, he knew exactly how potatoes to peel (or get the kids to)
3. Certain areas were off limits to kids unless they were helping. The fruits and paper goods they might want or need was very accessible to them.
4. We went out every day of chol hamoed.
5. I took extra help the morning after sedarim so prep gor those day meals was not on any one’s exhausted body.
6. All kids had to help serve and clear. Each course is served and cleared by two kids.
7. I bought a few new (group) games for pesach. One new one per age group.
8.going back to number one. Bc we had an itemized menu we only shopped before yt and then again only for things they have a short shelf life like bananas.
9. I precooked and froze a few things that take long time to cook.
I also don’t use any processed foods. If you want my menu, I’ll be glad to share.
Leave your crockpot on . Put a meal on it ever night for the next day meal( can't do it by day for the night except on Friday it's hachana) it cuts your yt prep time in half. Also it's very important to remember to feed the kids by their meal times..or they get cranky. Try to stick to normal bedtime routines...the little kids can have a pretend seuda earlier...get the kids to clean the toys every day or it'll just add up ..and try to take them out everyday even if it's cold
The shopping is based on the menu so that makes sense for me to do first. I have a tiny pesach kitchen so I guess that will be off limits to the children and I'll put paper goods and fruit in a more accessible place. There will be a lot of little kids who I won't be able to watch if I'm cooking. I just really don't want to become burned out and resentful. I like my SIL
Lower your standards!! Your house will not be as clean and as organized as a regular week but it's ok! You're hosting, it's pessach...make sure your kids have good memories of that week (not mommy screamed everyday, she was a ball of nerves...)
If you prepare yourself mentally starting now, it will be much easier!
Have a positive attitude! Don't worry everything will work out, nobody will go hungry even with simple meals...
