I chickened out with a similar situation, but many go through with it. If there's a place to keep kids out of the dust and you contract most of it out, I bet you can do it. Being crazy will help.

We just went through it - with a 7y, 5y, and 23 month old. It was a nightmare. But I wanted to do it now so I could enjoy a future in this kitchen with them - the old kitchen drove me bonkers.

We had half contractors/half us - if I were rich we definately would have contracted the whole thing out, but then that probably would have taken longer - ours took 5 weeks. Actually, if we were rich, we still may have done it diy, but payed to have the kids go to a daycare or in-home care at someone's elses house during the days. It was a horrible 5 weeks of neglected children, neglected rest of the house, I was basically a mess - but I'm a neat/organization freak, so maybe that's why it was especially hard/stressful.

I would do it. It's not going to get any better the older they get and the benefit you will get from it will be monumental!

Tips: again, I don't know if you're doing diy, but have all your ducks in a row before you start, I researched and pick out and purchased and had nearly everything ready to go on construction day 1. there was no waiting for anything. so, do it, but try to do it fast! because it will be tough with young kids, but again, the reward is so big and we ALL love it!!

I can't speak to the children aspect of your question, but can suggest the following:

Plan what you do want - layout, materials, etc. Really look at the pros and cons of your choice. By the time you finish this step, your children will be quite a bit older :)

See if there are quick fixes that can tide you over for a few years. For example, can you replace the pantry shelves with after-market full-extension drawers? Can you get a small wine fridge for soda, etc., and put it in a place that keeps the drinkseeker out of the way of the cook?

hahaha Anne is so right! By the time I got everything planned I had a whole new kid.

I would definitely wait. We did our kitchen last year when my twins were 10. I would never have wanted to go through this when they were younger for several reasons. Besides the mess and inconvenience of washing everything in the bathroom sink, we ate out often during the remodel. My kids were a handful in restaurants when they were young and it wouldn't have been pleasant for us.

More importantly, when my kids were toddlers and even pre-schoolers, they banged around in my kitchen, slamming those formica cabinet doors, dragging pots and pans in and out of them, hanging from the silverware drawers and just putting sticky fingers on everything. I would have been NUTS if they did this to my new maple cabinets. With young children formica works best and I wouldn't recommend having anything nice and expensive around toddlers!

Wouldn't it stink to have a beautiful kitchen get all nicked up and damaged by the time your kids are 10!!

Good luck!
Susan

We just jumped in and our kids are only slightly older than yours. So come on, join the insanity!

Seriously, we had planned to wait until they were older. As Susan said, I will probably loose my mind when my kids toys go flying into the new cabinets. More importantly though, this is our life and I'd rather have a home I love and live in it rather than waiting for everything to be perfect. I would be waiting until the kids moved out - and then I'd be sad to rip out the kitchen they grew up in!

One big difference though is my kids sleep through the night so we all get good sleep- critical for rational decision making and maintaining stress levels. I'm not sure there's a perfect time, you just have to make the best of it, whenever it is!

Good luck!
Tara

If you do the kitchen later it might cost more money.

One of the many reasons our DIY kitchen remodel has dragged on(since July) is that we have kids. DS1 is involved in organized lacrosse, football, modified cross country and golfs and snowboards. I attend all practices and games for lax & fb, and all races for xc. Someone(me) has to drive him to golf courses or ski mountains. DS2 just turned 4 and I don't like to park him in front of a screen so our kitchen has been worked on an hour here, a couple of hours there. The bulk of the work was done during the summer and we had our sink and dw hooked up by mid-August.

The 3mo old probably still sleeps a good chunk of the day, so I wouldn't even factor in the infant. Toddlers can be clingy and that can be problematic during dangerous activities like demolition. If you have a neighbor or relative who can watch him during demo, that would be ideal. I would suggest that you purchase a set of plastic tools for the 2.5yr old to work along side you on cabinet leveling and installation. Cleanup at the end of the every work session is vitally important when there are toddlers around.

You're not crazy for entertaining the thought, but you need to figure out how tolerant you can be of construction mess and chaos and weigh that against how much you dislike your kitchen now. And Plan. For everything. On spreadsheets.

This thread raises all kinds of questions (and opinions) as to kids ages and also whether certain kitchens are not "kid worthy".

One interesting point is that kids can actually take more time when they're older. Yes, they're in school, but still have to get ready--have help with, and keep track of, homework--notice more what they can eat--have to go to lots of activities--have friends over. So who can tell what exact age would be right to start? So much would depend on specifics of family. So it is even now--are you and DH exhausted and just barely finding enough time and energy as it is--then it would seem a no-go. Do you have a fairly laid-back schedule and some good babysitting options, or a place to escape to with the babies when the workers are there--then maybe now is better for you.

Would you plan a different kitchen now in terms of what you think will be your available resources, compared to perhaps when the kids are teens? Or isn't it likely that many homes will "need" updating in 10 years anyway or that you will move to a different home? Still, you might decide, not just because of the ages of your kids, but just due to how you want to distribute your resources, to do a not so knock-dead remodel now. If you think it's likely that you'd move to a new house rather than remodel again in 10 yrs, then you might remodel with what you like +/- what seems to be the going thing for updated homes in your neighborhood, but not go overboard, and so enjoy it now and still be relatively updated a few years from now.

I think every single family would have a different perspective!

But the suggestion from above that I like is, start getting your "notebook" together. This will contain lots of wishes and ideas that, though they will change some over time (new products, new brands, new toys) it still helps you get focused for whenever you remodel.

I had a five year old and 1 year old and while it was difficult while it went on, I'm glad it's done and we can enjoy it now while the kids are still young.

Changing the way your kitchen works can make a huge difference in how you function as a family. For example, the PO's had walled off the back door off the kitchen so I couldn't get to the back yard easily and kids couldn't play out there unless I was right there. If they wanted a drink outside, we'd all have to come in while I got drinks, etc. Also, in our old set up the table had to be pushed against one wall so 2 kids were crammed on one side of a short table. Now we can actually all face each other.

It might be short term pain, but I'd recommend biting the bullet for long term enjoyment.

You are approaching the stage of family life in which having a well-working kitchen will be worth it's weight in gold. Just remember to design in space for little and growing helpers. Time gets away fast.

You asked about personal experience, so here's a little of ours: Our family just finished 2 yrs of building our own house...and I mean hands-on building, not just GCing and hiring subs. I shouldn't say we finished, because since we officially moved in late last February, the project continues. Our youngest is now 4. Before that every house we remodeled every house we owned. In the last one we completely redid the kitchen, 2 bathrooms, 2 bedrooms, partitioned the unfinished basement to form a laundry, mudroom, and rec room and built a 2-story addition. When we moved into that house we had 6 kids, ages 1-9. By the time we moved 9 yrs later, we had 2 more. My dh's brother moved out of his house while it was remodeled and my kids were amazed. We were always remodeling and it was an accepted way of life...Why move out? ;-)

It is possible to do if you want/need the kitchen badly enough, and it could be the best time. Frankie makes some very good points, though, about individual and family differences, so you really have to ponder them to see what will work best for you.

Best wishes.

Ha, This is funny to me...All I have to say is...Darn baby gates! Allow me to explain - We have a 2.75yr old and a 6 month old. The plan was to get the kitchen done before the new baby came, but we planned, and planned, and planned, so long that he beat us to it. He was born in July and once I was over my postpartum recovery, we got back to kitchen.

DH slowly started to demo the kitchen, doing some plumbing and electrical, leaving the major appliances intact as long as possible. Then the day came that we had to tear out the rest to get to the final bit of plumbing. Drywallers finished in November and we were all jazzed to get those cabinets in.

WELL, one thing after another happened, winter colds with the kids, that previously booked vacation we had to take (glad we did!), then DH caught the flu or something, etc. All this with just a temporary kitchen (microwave, crock pot, frig, sink in the laundry room, and eating out A LOT).

Just as DH was starting to feel better, I was on the demo'd side of the kitchen messing with paint chips and granite samples when I decided to step over the baby gate we had put up to keep my toddler out of there. My feet got all tangled up in the gate, my hands were full (luckily not with Baby), and Tiiiiiimmmber! I fell, slamming my shoulder into the wall, and broke my arm. Cut to 3 weeks later and here I am just starting to feel well enough to handle the kids on my own so DH can get back to working on the kitchen.

Is there a point to my story?...Not really. Well, maybe it is to always walk AROUND the baby gate, NOT over! (painful lesson to learn).

Actually my point is, with all that, we are surviving. Toddlers eat fairly simple foods and babies are even easier in the food department. The baby is sleeping through the night (knock on wood) so that does help. DH and I are tired of eating out, but we'll get through it (even if it is taking twice as long to lose some of that baby weight!).

We debated waiting until the kids were older, but we just wanted to get the remodeling done so we could enjoy our kids and the home for years to come.

My advice would be as everyone else said...Make all the decisions you can before you start demo. You don't want to be mid-remodel and still debating granite choices like me...and watch out for those baby gates!!

Best of luck to you with whatever you decide.

merimom: you could start your own thread on the hidden dangers of a reno....:)

k: I would say it depends on the extent of the remodel
Keep one room as the "go to room"
to keep clean, where you eat, where kids would play whatever...
maybe you have relatives who can put you up during the major rip out, or when it gets to chaotic:)
My renovation plan consisted of staying with my mom for a bit to maintain a little sanity, but we also gutted and added on to the house.
I'm an interior designer (specializing in kitchens) but having my own home ripped apart, with two toddlers running around was a nightmare.
Now, I can't imagine not doing it.
I have nothing but sympathy for my clients when they're in the middle of a remodel. Major test of sheer will and determination not to mention their marriages.

We did our kitchen when our twins were 3-4 yrs old. It was in the summer so we could cook outside and use the hose and sink in the garage for wash up. We were without a kitchen for about 2 months and it wasn't bad at all. Could I have done it with a 3 month old? Probably not since ours cried non stop for 4 months but after that were as good as gold, so I guess it depends on the child. I agree with the previous poster who said that by the time you sort our all of the details, your children will be very different. I'm glad we did ours while the girls were so young because it converted the kitchen into a space where they could play/work in the same room with me (I'll never forget how appalled my brother was when he found our that the first thing I made on my new pro-style range was a batch of playdoh!)

Well, if if makes you feel better, we're doing ours with twelve kids, ages 2 to 15. :o) There would never be a good time for us, so we decided just to jump in and get it over with! And truthfully, it's because we have a big family that we really NEEDED to do it.

I would just make a list of pros and cons and see how things balance out. It took us probably a year of planning and waiting for our contractor of choice, so as others have said, you may well find that you have some extra time before you really need to dive into it.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

My kids were 3 and 1 when we moved into out 100yr old cottage that needed to be gutted and restored. We were able to get a majority of the bedrooms complete before we moved in. The kitchen was DIY amd my husband ripped it out in June. The entire 1st floor was uninhabitable. We lived that way from June till November.
My advice to you would be, wait until there is nice weather so you can cook outside and also dine outside. Because the entire first floor was also a construction zone we were able to spend a majority of our time outside. We went to our town pool most days during the day, or stayed out in the yard.
Just a word of warning- it is an extremely frustrating process, but totally worth it in the end. And this GW community is very therapeutic for when you need to vent!

We did it with a 5 and 2 year old. The 2 year old is an active little boy who gets into everything so he was in heaven with all of the tools lying about, debris, etc.

You get through it no matter what, but just be careful the air quality will be okay for the baby.

Also, will you feel cheated later if you make quick decisions due to time constraints and down the road wish you'd given it more thought for a different result?

We bought a fixer-upper and renovated the whole house last year, when our kids were 4 and 2. We had contractors do the moving walls, drywall, rough electrical/plumbing, and tiling. We did all the finish electrical/plumbing, painting, finish trims, and installation of the kitchen, bathrooms, appliances and all fixtures. Our kitchen was IKEA DIY, my DH did the majority of it by himself with me helping at times.

We did it by working late at night every night for about 6 months (that wasn't only the kitchen though, I would guess the kitchen work took about 2-3 months of that).

We both work full time, DH works till about 7.30-8 every evening. I would get the kids from daycare around 4-5, and with them try to get shopping and basic household stuff done, feed them their dinner, and also have some playtime with them. DH would come home, we would read books and do kiddie bedtime together, and about 8.30-9 he would start on the kitchen. I would either help him if he needed or would start painting/spackling/floor refinishing (mostly in other rooms).

Usually the kids would come downstairs and watch/help for a while, especially if DH was assembling IKEA cabinets. Our 4-yr old son loved to help with that! We would let them "help" for a while, then usher them back to bed. They got used to falling asleep to the sound of daddie's power tools!

DH and I would work from about 9-12 or 1, then stop and eat dinner, drink a glass of wine, and get to bed. For us, it was the best way to do it around work and to try to keep the kids' evening as unchanged as possible.

You will find a schedule that works for you. I definitely don't regret doing it (although, our kitchen was completely unusable, so we had no choice!). We were very tired, but for the kids I think it was quite a fun time (or maybe i just like to believe so!).

Having lived in two, no, make that three homes, where the kitchens were not ideal and were in the process of being remodeled, I can tell you from experience that dragging out the remodel over a period of months (and years!) is what is going to make you madder than the hatter.

As someone already mentioned. Plan. Plan. Plan. Plan to do the remodel in small stages so that your house, if it has to be a wreck, is not a wreck for more than two days. If you want to rip out the cabs, have everything on hand that you need to put in the new cabs before you begin the process. Then rest from the process and let your cashflow recover. Start the next phase after careful planning. Make sure you have everything you need on hand, then do it.

There is nothing more miserable than having an entire kitchen (and your don't know how much it really is the heart of the home until you don't have it!) inoperable.

I wish you the best in making this decision.

I'm a longtime lurker here who is finally going to remodel my kitchen this summer. My experience pushes me to say: go for it now, don't wait.

To start, as others have said kids and their needs and schedules only get more complicated as they get older. And they get more expensive too! Disregarding education costs there are so many budget-nibblers, and gobblers, in raising kids.

We moved into our house 20 years ago. I had one 6-month old and had my second 2 years later. We chose not to tackle the kitchen remodel at that time. We had tons of other projects to do and we figured we would get to the kitchen 'soon'. And guess what...soon turned into 20 years! Frankly, the stress and disruption would have been far less if we had just gone for it at the time. Once the kids got to be school age it was absolutely impossible to contemplate taking out the kitchen while balancing their needs and 2 jobs. Not to mention the $$$$$$ that steadily drained from our bank accounts for all the stuff that kids need and want and have to have.

This of course means that I've lived and cooked in a depressing substandard kitchen with very little storage space and ancient fixtures, cabinets and countertops for 2 decades.

Do it now. Don't wait and let life happen while you're making plans (a la John Lennon).

When we did the kitchen in our other house, my children were 1.5, 1.5 (twins)!, 3, and 5. For a while we did not have access to our downstairs bathroom. It was completely fine, though.... not easy, but not a total disaster. I had a microwave in the laundry room and a refrigerator in the garage.

This time, the kids are 4, 4, 5, and 7 (different house). I think it will be harder now that they are older b/c they all eat a lot and expect a variety of food at each meal. The older two also have school work to do when they get home; like to have friends over; etc. When they were younger, they were a lot less demanding and had less going on.. now that they take more initiative in their social engagements and activities, I think the kitchen renovation will be a bit more difficult (less room to do art/homework, less flexibility in inviting people over, etc).

So, I actually think your kids are a good age for a renovation-- as they get bigger it will be more of a disruption for them (and you!).

Go for it!