Mother in law coming today!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

She's 78 so complicated games of strategy can be frustrating for her.
I played dominoes with my mother in her 80's before she died in the nursing home for MONTHS- she never got tired of playing- always wanting "just one more!" game. It was actually kind of fun, and we ignored some of the complicated rules in the instructions. We also livened it up with playing for dimes and playing 3 out of 5 game "championships".
Also, Parcheesi is a good simple board game that is easy to follow and has elements of strategy but also lots of luck of the dice.
You might want to put on some old Bing Crosby or other traditional holiday music she can relate to.

[suzieqtwa]

I don't like my "Mother in law" at all......There is more age difference between me,and my husband, than there is between my mother in law. She had him when she was 16 ,and I married 11 years younger. I'm 53 ,and she is 60 ,and my husband is 42. I try to like her ,but just hearing her voice makes my skin crawl. Lucky for me she lives in Montana.

[KSH]

Well, with my own mother (61 years old), who is completely inactive (there is no way I could get her to walk 4 blocks!)... simple is good.

She likes to eat out and to sit around and chat. That makes her happy.

Why do there need to be games/outings/etc.? She might just like talking with you without all the other stuff going on.

Good luck.

[SouthernBelle]

Go for (car) ride to look at lights while playing christmas music.

Look at old family pictures, esp if there are some you don't have names for.

Ask about her childhood Christmas stories.

Sing Christmas songs. Remember, everybody used to do that.

Watch an old movie. If it's not B&W, it's not old enough.

HTH,

[mimitabby]

AK! my mother in law is coming in today too! and she's got alzheimers. She was already difficult for me to deal with when she was healthy!

eek eekekekekekeek

and DH is going on a bike ride and leaving me in charge tomorrow!!

[Chimiska]

Southern Belle: I second that idea. Do ask Mama for family stories, and if you don't have a tape recorder going, at least write them down. Ask her what was her favorite game when young, how much was gasoline when she was little, how far was it to her school, etc. etc.

And be really certain you have gone thru all your old family photographs and had her identify all that she could. WRITE IT ALL DOWN!.

You will wish you had, when she is gone. I am doing family Genealogy and did all of these things, but it wasn't enough. And now they are all gone.

Chim

[Brandi]

these are all good idea's

[doc]

"Apples to Apples" and "Taboo" are nice ageless games that I play with my kids.