As your children make the transition from adolescent to teenager, there are a lot of changes that will suddenly become very important. For some kids, the bed that they sleep in is like an avatar for their adulthood and the  that they once loved are now unacceptable. What can we do to remedy this situation?

As with most situations, a good defense is the best offense. Prepare for this inevitable outcome well in advance and you’ll have an easier time of it once you get to this point. If you buy a set of bunk beds that can be un-stacked and converted into two regular beds, you are ahead of the game. You can either store the top bunk or use it as a second bed in the guest room.

I you did not buy bunk beds or have already bought a solid framed set, you are just going to have to start from scratch. First, think about the size of the bed. I grew up quickly and was over 6 feet tall by the age of 14, so my parents needed to get me a full sized bed quite early. They didn’t and I spent a few years with my feet dangling off the end of the mattress. It’s better to buy a bed that is too big earlier than buying a new frame and mattress two or three more times.

The style of the bed matters more in this phase of their lives than it ever has or ever will again. You are going to want to buy a bed frame that is simple and adult. I have found that platform beds are usually the best solution as they are cost efficient, space efficient, simple and they come in a variety of sizes and style to match you needs and the demands of your child. If they want something more ornate or fancy then you should consider getting a cheap metal frame and a nice headboard at the least. This will cost you less than a full frame and the basic metal frame does the job just as well. At this point you just buy a bed skirt and cover the cheap frame. The bed will look classy and fancy for less money than buying a whole set will be.

The best advice I can give is simple. Do the shopping with your children and let them have the final say on a bed frame. With the infinite power of the internet, you can browse hundreds of style of bed and bed frame without trying to organize a day with your teenagers. There is very little that a teenager enjoys less than spending a day shopping with their parents. Don’t get offended. Set up an Amazon wish list to which your kids can add items they are interested in. You can look at the list and cross references prices online to find the best deals. This way, you can make sure they get something that they will actually like and you won’t have to take out a second mortgage on the house when refurnishing your kid’s rooms.

t’s possible to enlist in credit card rewards programs that cover every conceivable interest and product out there. You can use credit cards that go towards gas or massages, restaurant meals or sporting events. Your card rewards can support your wallet, your favorite charity, or your home’s interior design. The possibilities are truly endless, and being frequent travelers makes having a good card pretty enticing.

As a grandparent, however, choosing the right rewards program with cheap interest credit cards isn’t just a matter of saving yourself some money and zeroing in on your individual interests. Rather, it more generally requires keeping the benefits of your family in mind. While my husband and I might prefer a rewards program that offers discounts on our favorite spots, that type of card ultimately won’t have much benefit for your grandchildren or for your family as a whole

So what are the family-friendly rewards programs out there? What card should you get if you want to take your grandkids interests, into consideration? While there are many possibilities out there (although not as many as you might think), here are a few rewards categories that may do the trick:

-Retail and Restaurants. There are a few credit card rewards programs that offer everyday discounts at kid-friendly retailers and kid-friendly dining establishments. One of the most popular of these is offered by Oshkosh, the clothing brand. With the Oshkosh credit card, a family can regularly get rebates at those places it frequents most, and it can save up rewards for most costly family activities (ex. trips and theme parks).

-Travel. Travel rewards are one of the most popular credit card programs out there, and there are few better ways to make the whole family happy than by saving for a vacation. With the Southwest credit card or a similar card from a competitor airline, you can amass miles when you make purchases and then contribute those miles towards your family’s next flight.  Using this card frequently is also a great ways for grandparents to fly cheaply to see grandkids or to take them on new adventures during vacations.

-Disney. There are few children out there that don’t like Disney or at least go through a Disney phase. If your grandchildren are still of the right age, then, a rewards program provided by Disney can amount to worthwhile savings on all Disney related expenses. These expenses include retail purchases as well as trips to Disney World or Disney Land.

-Cash back. Ultimately, if you can’t find a rewards program that the whole family can support, you might as well opt for one that helps you prepare best for the unpredictability of parenting. A cash back card can do this trick by regularly converting your credit card use (and your subsequent rewards) into cash. This cash can then be used to satisfy any of your family’s needs.

No matter what sort of program you choose, always make sure to read the fine print and seek out a high interest checking account whenever possible to maximize your money. While the rewards offered by credit cards may be enticing, it’s always important to know the price you’re paying for the opportunity – both for your sake and for that of your grandkids.

Ever since we bought this RV six years ago, I have been picking my clothes up off the closet floor every night when we travel. The first trailer we owned had the closet in the middle, and it was tiny, so we never had this problem. This one though, has a huge wardrobe closet across the entire rear end of it. So, when we travel, it always looks like this:

What a mess!

I have tried everything I can think of to organize my closet better so that I won’t have the avalanche of pants and shirts. I tried using packing tape to strap them down but they just came down in one hunk rather than one at a time. Then, I tried using a belt to attach the clothes on hangers to the rod. That only caused the whole rod to bend and fall down. Next, I tried folding all my shirts neatly and stacking them on the floor. The end result of that was my pajamas, which never fell down before,  fell on top of the neatly arranged shirts. Sigh!

The only RV closet I have ever seen that looked like it wouldn’t have this problem was one that a friend of ours customized with lots of drawers and bins built in, like closet organizers. I would love to have something like that in my trailer!