One word.....alcohol.

Routine, routine, routine. Life will be disrupted enough with everything going on. Try and keep a regimented routine. At least thats what works for my family.

Oh, and also, what breezygirl said ;)

Baby gates. They WILL leave the doors open, no matter the weather, no matter how often you insist doors stay shut when nobody is actually USING them. You don't want the little one to end up in the street, no matter how good he normally is.

Stomach flu, lawjedi? You're right. We can do this.

Like the gates idea and routine suggestion. Alcohol is definitely a must.

Any tips on setting up an organized temporary kitchen? We have two hot plates and a toaster oven, but what do we do with everything?

You will need to seal off the vents to their room, so asbestos/lead laden dust doesn't get in there (I hope you're in a warm climate). Use the plastic sheeting and seal off the areas that will be worked on as best you can. Educate yourself (unless you've already done it) on asbestos and lead containment and disposal procedures. Vacuum daily with a vacuum that has a HEPA filter... aside from that, watch them like a hawk. The five year old is so young, but you might be able to give her a role in this by explaining that sometimes you can't watch them both, because you will be working. Give her the job of watching over her little brother, and explain how very vital her role is. She can make sure that her little brother doesn't put any paint or anything in his mouth. She probably won't be that good at her job because she's five, but it will make her feel important, and she will help out sometimes, which is better than nothing.
Good luck.

If you do a google search for this site (too bad the GW search sucks), you'll find some past threads about temporary kitchens with great advice on what to use, how to do it, etc.

Do you have a basement, garage or other area to use? Cook what you can ahead and freeze. Box up the non-essential stuff like the gravy separator and keep your most used pans handy. Never turn down an offered meal. Hopefully others will chime in with better advice too.

crockpot. microwave. perhaps buy a big plastic shelf (to use later in the garage... basement... etc) to put your temp kitchen items on. If your temp kitchen is anywhere near the demo, big sheets or something to cover it when not in use (major dust)

try to know where everything is. you would not believe how things get misplaced - cuz you can't put it where you normally put it...

where are you doing dishes? even if paper/plastic is your answer, there still will be some dishes. have a dishpan, soap, scrubby readily available.

this is definitely a time to use the CONVENIENCE foods!!

where are you going to eat? think about that.

also, develop a good rapport with the workers -- maybe an occasional donut run for them... or a thank you lunch... I found they were much more accommodating for us and our needs... cleaned up the site better at the end of the day, etc...

and excellent communication with whomever is in charge. I wanted to know the schedule everyday... it was important to planning kid stuff.

if you know it's going to be an especially noisy day, go hang out at a friend's. all day tool whine sounds will leave you and the kids' nervous systems fried.

If you're going to be dealing with lead and asbestos then you should seriously think about getting out of the house - at least the kids. Have you looked into the risks of this? Why isn't moving out an option - the cost? If you're doing such a major remodel you should have factored that in. Don't you have family or friends the kids can stay with at least until the demolition is done?

We are mid-renovation now, and I have a temporary kitchen set up in the bar area of my basement. I brought down my microwave, toaster over, 2 crock pots, george forman grill, and bought 2 plug-in burners. We are eating on paper and plastic because the only sink I have down here is bar size and doing dishes was not an option for me.

I am fortunate that I have the space to store all these appliances, but I would say the crock pots have saved me. I have made so much in them (tonight, I made corn bread in the crock pot and it was delish!) The plug in burners are also fantastic and they only cost $15/each.

My kitchen table is also down here with us, and since our basement is carpeted, we have tarps and moving blankets strewn throughout to protect the floors (last thing I want is for my children to spill on the light coloured carpets)

Since your kids are still young enough that you don't have to deal with homework, I would recommend making sure you have crayons and activity books at hand. Television is always good as well.

We stay in the basement until after dinner, then go upstairs to shower, get ready for bed and then play a bit before bedtime. My kids are never allowed on the main floor unsupervised, and I am VERY strict about that.

My kids are 10, 7 and 4. It has been 6 weeks, and the end is not yet in sight. It would be nice to have my home back, but the kids have acclimated to the change. I would say the first week was the hardest, but it has been ok since.

Sorry for going off track, but I thought it would be silly to start a new thread for my silly worries. My kitties are my babies. I do worry about them when I think about remodeling.

During remodeling, they will be confined in a much smaller area (than usually) for their safety. I'm sure they won't be happy about that. One time, we had an electrician over. Since we were going in and out of the house, I locked my kitties in a bedroom. One kitty meow'ed the entire time and finally when I let her out, she threw up (she almost never throws up) -- she got sick from being locked up. *sigh*

But I'm more concerned if their little hearts can take the most terrifying noises from pounding and sawing. They have always been scared of noises. They bolt under the bed when they see me pull out the vacuum (even before I turn it on).

All I can do is hope they will be okay.

I agree with weissman that moving out is the wisest and healthiest choice. I know that it seems too expensive, but in the long run, it is better than unhealthy children who have acquired lead poisoning or a breathing disorder.

Here are some suggestions for you:

a pyrex 8 cup glass measuring cup. They have them at Target/Walmart. This is big enough to boil water and pasta in the microwave. The spout makes draining the water safer for you.

Disposable dishes and cutlery. Donate some money to your community recycle program to offset if you feel guilty. But don't beat yourself up about making it work. It is easier and the dishes are cleaner (not contaminated with debris residue)

If you are a stay at home, and have a good friend nearby who is an office mom. See if you can crash at her home once in a while, especially on noisy or dusty days. Offer to let her kids stay home from daycare and have "daycamp" at their house.

Go to the library, bookstore, etc, like you always do, but go to ones that are further away. Make it an outing. Free things to kill time.

Salad Bars. Buy things already cut up and then add to pasta that you microwave.

Road Trip. Maybe a trip to a community 1 hour away for "lunch". Meet a old friend in the middle who lives in the opposite direction.

Take your vitamins....if you or the kids get sick, well that will not be fun.

Enjoy!

My husband, was to start a kitchen, that the house, had asbestos. A company, had to come in to get rid of it. They the worker's were not allowed in until it was okay. If you, think your home, may have asbestos, or lead, do not stay in it. It will not be worth the risk. And if they would find anything they have to go in the house in suit's to protect them selves. So just putting your kid's in another room will not work. Look up the heath problem's asbestos, and lead, can cause.

We lead-tested the paint first before our demo. During the worst days (demo, floor sanding, floor staining) I took them out on all-day outings. We also ran a Hepa air purifier with a VOC charcoal filter when we were home.

And we bought lots of new toys to keep them busy. A portable DVD player (for when the power was off) with a new movie every week or two. Arts and crafts.

We asked our contractors to keep their tools in the garage instead of the kitchen. And when the painters come, keep an eye out for those razor blades that they leave everywhere. I showed them to my kids so they would NOT try to pick them up.

Just to clarify on asbestos and lead (we have/had both!)---the problem with both is when they are in the air or when you're consuming them, *not* when they're just sitting around your house intact---thus the reason it becomes an issue for demo. For asbestos in my state, you need to have a certified asbestos person come and remove it; we just had all our ducts done. You leave for the demo, and make sure the crew knows (for demo and every day thereafter) that you have young children and it's imperative that they clean up thoroughly at the end of each day. (They should do that anyway, of course...) Asbestos removal is quick---they did ours in three hours---and then they set up a blower air test to certify that the air in the house is clear and you can go back inside. Done, and not that involved or costly.

The problems asbestos and lead exposure cause are long-term---not things you're likely to pick up from one or two days of exposure. That's not to say you should be casual about it, but you definitely don't need to abandon your house for the duration. Seriously---most houses built before the 70s that haven't been abated have lead, asbestos, or both! I can almost guarantee that unless you live in a relatively new community, one of your neighbors probably has asbestos shingles or asbestos ducts or lead paint, even if you don't.

That said, the time to test for these is several weeks before demo, so that you know exactly what you're dealing with. Federal lead laws now require contractors to use special containment procedures when they demo if the home has lead, so it's something the contractor needs to know in advance (unless they just follow those rules routinely anyway, in which case you're covered).

We live in old house territory, and I know lots and lots of preschoolers who have weathered renovations in hundred-year-old homes just fine on the lead and asbestos front (and on other fronts too! :) Seal off the renovation space very well. Leave for demo day, and if it's going to take multiple days, maybe go on an overnight to a friend's house. Once demo is done, have the crew clean well (our kitchen was cleaner post-demo than it ever was before!) and from there on out, you're primarily dealing with clean new materials, except if they need to cut into walls. If you know you have a lot of drilling or sanding on a particular day, that's a good day to get out of the house. We really only had a few days of loud heavy duty tool use after demo; things like plumbing and electrical just had little bursts of noise, and plastering was virtually silent once the lathe was nailed up. (And assuming you can, set up a spot outside for drilling and sanding that doesn't need to be done inside---80% of ours was in our backyard, which meant far less dust in the house.) If you're really concerned about the lead factor, your doctor can do a blood test to check lead levels, too. (Our local medical center routinely tests levels in any child under five who's living in a pre-1975 house where renovation is underway.)

Hope that's somewhat useful...

One other thing: I don't know much about demo, but it may be wisest to make sure that any contaminated materials aren't getting hosed off in your yard. The lead can get in the groundwater, right? I think it can. I don't know that asbestos being washed into the ground makes a difference, though - that's an airborne thing.

i think kids can be very sensitive to some things that don't bother older people, like different kinds of dust. Tell them to advise you of what they notice, but without turning it into a complaint or whine. Although it's normal it's good to know. They may get you to air out the house far more often than you would otherwise. Lungs are a vital organ to protect, for long term health.

I agree with the others who are cautionary about exposure to children
Test any questionable material BEFORE demo -

Also have children's lead level tested - easy to do

Contractors that are not certified in removal will not know how to keep your family from being exposed. If the materials are +, they will be lurking in your home long after the renovation is done.

You might want to get an electric skillet. You can cook a lot of great kid foods with one - grilled cheese, eggs, french toast, pancakes, ham slices, quesadillas etc. plus adult foods too like spaghetti sauce, pork chops, chicken, sloppy joe... There's a surprising variety of things, just look for skillet meal recipes.

You definitely want a decent clean up area. We transformed our basement laundry room into a kitchen by installing our old cabinets and putting in a new countertop. My husband set up a temporary staging area for dirty dishes next to the laundry sink and I converted the top of my dryer into a drying rack. We also had to add an electrical circuit to we could run multiple appliances at the same time. We ate at a table in the next room. My teenagers would often bring friends over for something to eat before taking off for a game so we had to keep expensive preprepared foods to a minimum. Two months is a long time so you might as well bite the bullet and invest some time into your temporary set up. If you don't have cabinets to reuse consider getting some storage that can be used afterwards. The Shelving Store sells quality chrome shelving in an unbelievable variety of sizes and configurations that you can use forever.

During the worst days - and you'll know them when you see them - you might want to check into a hotel. Go on the off peak times - weekend for a business hotel, weekday for a vacation hotel for cheaper rates. My dog got pushed to the limit during the remodel and we had to kennel her for a week at one point (she loves where she's kenneled so there was no guilt).

Oh, and don't get the stomach flu.

I want to second (third? fourth?) that this is not the time to feel guilty about using paper plates/bowls/cups and plastic cutlery. Washing dishes in a temporary kitchen is much harder than cooking in one. Save you energy for what's more important--vigilance in keeping the kids safe.

We were fortunate in that our construction area could be sealed off at two doorways, and the kids (10,8,3,3) just didn't ever go through. But every time we left the house and walked across the yard where the carpenter had set up a saw, regardless of whether it was off and unplugged, I wouldn't have let any of the four out of sight.

Teach the kids to keep away from the tools, but don't trust them to do so.

I want to second what Weissman said, and this:

"Contractors that are not certified in removal will not know how to keep your family from being exposed. If the materials are +, they will be lurking in your home long after the renovation is done."

It WILL still be there if the demo and cleanup aren't done right. Your HVAC system will be filling the air you breathe with it. The dust on every surface in your home will have lead and/or asbestos in it.

You do not want your children exposed to that. Lead damages growing brains much more easily than it damages adult brains. And asbestos is more of a potential tragedy for children because they won't already be old, having already lived their lives, when the consequences hit. It can take decades for an asbestos-related cancer to begin--but whereas that might make you 60 or 70 or 80 when it hits, it makes your kids somewhere between 25 and 45.

So first off, you need to have the materials tested. Is there lead or asbestos in there? You need to know. If not, you're home free.

But if there IS lead and/or asbestos, then regardless of whether you move out (which I think you should--choose a less expensive range or fridge or whatever, and voila, you have enough money to rent an apartment for a month or two), you need to have the demo and post-demo cleanup done by a crew that is certified in lead and/or asbestos abatement.

mudworm -- my cat is who pretty much terrified of strangers just survived us finishing the basement. It was super noisy at times and we had strangers (men - even worse to kitty!) in and out. He pretty much spent the days under my bed -- I would even put his wet food bowl under there because it would go uneaten if left in the kitchen.

Now we are finished and it is a distant memory to him so don't worry about it!

I also did a major kitchen remodel and addition when my kids were little (2 and 4). Plus it was winter to boot! We spent a lot of time upstairs playing and watching tv or else I would take them to the library or the play area at the mall. Kids that age aren't gourmet eaters so feeding them was not a problem.

It would be harder to do that remodel now that they are 8 and 10 because they always want their friends over and that would be difficult!

Be careful of all the health issues mentioned.

We went through a remodel when my kids were babies, way back when. We moved the microwave into the family room, put the kitchen table in there, and the fridge. Used paper plates and cups. Little kids are very adaptable. Renovating when they were teenagers? Another story. They don't adapt to change nearly as well, I know. They are all full of their "Save the Planet" attitudes (which is great) and they constantly question the "why are you doing this? the kitchen worked fine"....

Anyway, #1, take care of the health issues mentioned, #2, treat it as an adventure for them, they won't care as long as you have food for them to eat. Maybe even having to prepare a week's worth of meals at a friend/neighbor's house and freeze them each weekend. And finally #3, I think the kids might be too young for alcohol as suggested in the first response, but I did think of that too. ;o) lol

Thanks for all the advice everyone! I was reading and absorbing all the information you posted. Demo started today and the good news is there is no lead in the 16 places we tested. We're still taking the precaution of putting up lots of plastic and moving out for the next few days when things will be messiest, but I'm feeling much better about the health issues. The asbestos is less of an issue as we'll likely just keep the tiles in place if they are asbestos.

The other survival ideas are also great. Honestly, I'm starting to worry more about my marriage surviving than the kids at this point. We had a not-so-fun weekend trying to get everything packed up (or thrown away - a source of some tension) which was compounded by my daughter coming down with strep. Not as bad as the story of stomach flu with no running water, but we all were a bit cranky.

Anyway, the demolition has begun today and we're looking forward to a week of hanging out at my mother's condo in downtown Minneapolis until the dust has settled. I'll keep you all posted on the progress, but thanks again for the great ideas!

Honestly I can't read all the posts, but having had a complete gutting of our house I can't imagine staying in place. It is going to be filthy with nails, and screws, dust..... What about staying with family or even begging for a low rent from someone who is a "snowbird" in your area (leaves for the winter), or house sit. Thinking outside the box, what about a long term rental of a trailer mobile home - I don't have a clue what it will cost. You are the one that is home - hubby goes off to the office. If you are out of the house, the contractors can usually move faster and finish off sooner - less rental time.