One of the bigger regrets that elderly people report is not having spent as much time with their family as they might have done. Realizing that their own children grew up in what now seems like a flash of time and moved away to live their lives, people who become grandparents have a golden chance to catch their grandkids while they grow up, instead of missing that whole time.
Here are some tips for the not-so-old to stay in touch with their extended family as the years go by.
It’s the day-to-day moments that build the strongest relationships. And while time, distance and generational gaps make it easy to drift apart, the good news is that families can pull closer together over that time too, and build stronger bonds with the grandkids through routines that include both daily experiences and fun adventures.
Help with the Routine
Grandparents may have to take the initiative with their own children, who may not want to burden their own parents with the frenetic pace of raising kids. Grandparents bring a nice tranquility to that madhouse that helps everyone relax and enjoy being family, and if the elders offer their time and involvement, it becomes a win-win situation for all.
There are a host of ways that grandparents can help in the daily task of raising the grandkids and giving them a good life. The parents in the middle of the generations will probably have some good ideas about where dad and mom can step in. Good ideas include:
- Drop the grandkids off at school, pick them up, or sit with these latchkey orphans until the parents get home after work.
- Cheer the kiddos on during sporting events, school theater productions, etc.
- Take the grandkids and family dog to the local park. Return them well-exercised and tired out.
- Start a tradition of Sunday family dinners at Grandparents’ Place.
All of these things can become established routines that strengthen bonds and make life more fulfilling.
What if people too far away to meet up in-person? What if your medical alert smartwatch is nagging you that your health or energy levels are making this tricky? We can always pitch in virtually. Video calling has never been more accessible or easier to set up. Video calls enable grandparents to do things such as:
- Go over the grandkids’ homework and school projects.
- Read bedtime stories to young children, helping establish a good sleeping schedule.
- Give teenagers a listening ear as they vent after a long day at school.
- Keep the kids engaged with them, giving some free time to parents in the house.
Home schooling is a growing trend in America, and it’s a task that definitely welcomes extra volunteer help additional help. Grandparents may be uniquely able to help here, by offering structure: establishing and monitoring the learning routines that frazzled working parents may not be able to manage, and searching out a community Learning Pod with other homeschooling parents and educators – or even organizing one from scratch in the neighborhood if there isn’t one.
Homeschooling offers abundant opportunity for day trips and unusual learning experiences that schools can’t always offer, and here the life experience of grandparents can be priceless. Perhaps they can enrich the student’s history lessons with their real-life experiences of the textbook event, or find a peer who was there. Maybe a grandparent can organize a field trip to the local aquarium or museum.
Have Fun
Grandparents have that special freedom to organize a little time playing hooky, treating the grandkids to something not quite so educational, but plenty fun, like time on the swings (studying momentum) or in the ice cream parlor (studying the rate of melting!).
School is for weekdays, and weekends are for fun. Time to shift roles from “supportive grandparent” to the fun one! The parents may be really grateful for your help during the week. However, to really earn that World’s Best Grandparent mug, it’s time to get more creative. If you’re a grandparent you could:
- Ask the grandkids to teach you how to play Minecraft, Mario Kart, or whatever they love. Don’t worry if you’re terrible. The grandkids are laughing, and that’s the important part.
- If you volunteer somewhere on the weekends, can you take the kiddos along? They may love visiting the puppies and kittens in the animal shelter. Maybe they can be little helpers during your senior center’s Bingo Night?
- Introduce them to casual sports like themed mini-golf, frisbee, kite flying, etc.
- Make a virtual treasure hunt in your yard complete with buried treasure, a map with clues, and costumes. Keep it simple with folded paper hats, scarf sashes, and cardboard swords.
And if the connection is more virtual, over a video call, you can:
- Teach older grandkids how to cook a favorite family recipe.
- Show off your family photo album, and don’t hold back on embarrassing stories about their parents.
- Watch shows together or play online games like Uno Online, Clue, or Words with Friends.
- Get out your arts and crafts supplies and make decorations for the next holidays.
Calling the grandkids regularly and celebrating their birthdays is a great start to deeper family involvement, but it doesn’t have to end there. Whether we’re living in the same town or far apart, modern technology and taking the initiative gives us all many options to nurture a deep and lasting relationship with the youngest members of the family.
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