susie almaneih: bonding with the grandparents - tips for kids and parents
TRANSCRIPT
Bonding with the Grandparents:Tips for Kids and Parents
SUSIE ALMANEIH
Our parents can provideour children with someunique life lessons...
It used to be that we picked up all our life skills by watching our parentsor grandparents, but in this era, our children’s primary source of
information is school.
As a result, we have lost valuable lessons about everything from cooking to mechanics.
The good news is that we as parents can enrich our children’s lives byencouraging them to access one of the most valuable resources at their
disposal: their grandparents.
Here are a few easy ways to think about enhancing the livesof both our parents and our children:
Take the time.
Every week, if not more,the kids should make a
call, write a letter or visit.Parents can facilitate this
as a matter of coursefor families that live close
together by keepingcommunicationwith both kids
and grandparentson what activity theywould like to do andplanning accordingly.
Special Skills.Does grandpa hunt or
fish?Does grandma bake
or sew?Maybe they both doall these things, and
can impartneedlework or fly
fishing. Sometimes, weas their children don’t
even know aboutsome of our parents’
secret skills. Andwhat a gift to givethe next generation!
Cut Costs.
There are ways in which our older children can help tend to the yard,take out the trash, help repaint or do other odd jobs that may save thegrandparents time and money. Conversely, grandparents can watch the
kids and they are usually happy to do it instead of a babysitter.
Make a Family Tree.
This is a project that the whole family can get into, by going through the photo albumsand whipping out the art supplies. It is a great life lesson for kids to see a bit of theirancestry and a nice opportunity for the grandparents to tell some stories and take a
walk down memory lane.
The more we include our parents in the family conversation, meet them half way, andexplore ways for our kids to broaden their relationship to their grandparents, the
stronger the family as a whole becomes. It sets us up for more joy and more ability totake life’s tough obstacles. And it helps our children be more compassionate, well-rounded
people!