Grandparents and Grandparenting

Keeping Grandparents involved in our children’s lives

Sometimes we are not able to live as nearby to our families as we should like, and no matter how many miles and/or countries separate us, having grandparents involved in a child’s life is very important. Grandparents can spoil them, love them unconditionally and teach them about life in general and even teach them about their family history.

For me personally, my grandparents became like surrogate parents and they were a big part of being propped up and led in the right direction when our family separated.

Grandparents who do not live close by can still maintain a close relationship with their grandchildren with a little imagination and time. Use simple methods to keep in touch, use the telephone as and when you can afford it, send lots of photo’s, drawings and craftwork so that they can keep up with milestones happening, use email/internet services if that is viable, there are a lot of grandparents out there that are actually “internet savvy”, but if not send them in the mail instead.

If they are “internet savvy” then invest in a web camera for your computer so children can and talk to grandparents often. This is a great thing to have and lets both the grandparents and grandchildren see what is happening “first hand” and can often work out more financially viable than using the telephone.

Perhaps the grandparents may be able to tape record or video tape themselves reading a bedtime story, singing a lullaby or telling a funny, popular story – children love to listen to stories again and again.

Let your kids create a “scrapbook” for their grandparents, this can include photo’s, artwork or even “diary entries” if the children are able – it doesn’t have to be for a particular reason – just to be able for them to relate to their grandparents and their grandparents to them.

Grandparents are able to provide parents with very valued lessons. These lessons need not be complicated, nor do they have to be as boring as making sure your grandchildren read as requested by their parents. These are lesson of love, of involvement, of happy expressions, of laughter, of simple walks through forest expressing an appreciation of all things in nature. These are examples of human kindness, a smile, a handshake, a hobby shared, or that apple pie that little hands made even through covered in flour much more than needed.
Let us not forget the special contribution and gift given to grandparents from adoring grandchildren, that special smile, the cheeky glee in their eyes, or that warm hug as they greet you, or even that grin from cheek to cheek when you grab their hand and go off to get an ice cream, or that escort to their first merry-go-around ride. All those little cries for joy, even those little scrapes made better with a loving caress or soothing and comforting word all lend more intimacy and vitality to a grandparent’s life.

The warmth and forever memorable good times experienced by your children with their grandparents can seal their fondest memories all through childhood and to their own time as grandparents. These memories remain as a true testament to family and their value through generations.