To think this isn't pandering unnecessarily to my DC??

[JoandMax]

Background - we moved to a new country nearly 8 weeks ago. Moved into our house 4.5 weeks ago, pretty much unpacked but a few bits and pieces to buy/do still.

The garden is a mix of paved and grassed areas and a good size for the area we live in (gardens are generally small).

My parents Skyped and wanted to see the house so showed them and the garden and they asked about outside furniture. I said we are planning on it but so far just been getting house sorted and kids settled in a new school etc. Then I mentioned we will probably get the garden changed anyway as at the moment the main paved area for tables/chairs is smack bang in the middle which doesn't really suit us. DC are 6 and 8 and love football, running around, making obstacle courses so use the garden far more than us! I explained a table right in the middle would be a pain so we'd more than likely grass the current area over and make a bit at the edge/side for a table.

I then get told I'm pandering to the DC and making everything revolve around them, why should the garden suit them when it would 'look better' the way it currently is. They are big gardening fans but I'm not. As long as it's neat and tidy and space to play that's all I'm bothered by!!

They're coming to visit in a few weeks and I know it will be brought up again. I'm NU am I?? And how best to put a short sharp stop to the inevitable comments?!!!

We live overseas (three years now) and have found both sets of gps now want to offer views and generally interfere long distance. It is infuriating, but we keep reminding ourselves that they have a massive void in their lives now we've left (3 boisterous boys they used to look after regularly and days out all together several times a month) and that this is probably just some sort of coping strategy...

We're in Middle East too (Qatar). I forgot to add, do whatever the heck you want-our relatives visit so infrequently that we quickly realised it is pretty liberating that we only now have ourselves to please in every aspect of our lives, despite their constant nagging to the contrary(we just nod along now!) Be warned however, when someone flicks the oven switch on in about a month your DCs won't want to leave the lovely cool, air conditioned villa in any case and the thought of sitting outside will be long forgotten 😂

Lurks - we're in Qatar too! Getting used to it slowly but surely........ We were in UAE for 4 years before here so enjoying this amazing cool winter we've had and the novelty of random showers!!

Garden geek - I resisted AstroTurf for 3 years, absolutely hated it but my goodness it is so much easier to manage in a hot climate!! And apparently much better to play football on according to the DC

So you've uprooted the dc's lives by moving abroad and giving them somewhere to play in this new strange country is pandering to them?
Batshit

*Not condemning you for moving btw!

Tell your DP that you'd welcome some sort of garden furniture as soon as you've finished your alterations. And keep smiling as you have to reaffirm this!
As a doting Grandma who has 9yo DGS every day after school my garden has a grassed area with a trampoline near the end of the garden. Last summer DGS finally realised my garden is not big enough to be a football pitch so this year I'm planning on putting in a flower bed. I'm so excited to be having flowers in the ground rather than in pots huddled together on the patio safely away from the football.
I'd much rather watch my DC or DGC run around the garden than put garden furniture in the middle of it to make it look nice

OP used to live somewhere v hot but humid too. Looking at your excellent plan I'd be tempted to move the patio to outside the dining room and have a retractable awning so you can have drinks outside before dinner or coffee outside ...and stop the paved area there.

I don't think you are pandering at all. I would move the seating area too because I'd want my children to also have the space to run around and I would prefer my seating area by the house not in the middle of the garden.