Traveling (& staying in touch) with Grandchildren
Posted on October 2, 2012 by bob in Features
(Part 2 of a 3-part series)
Taking a trip with your grandchildren or sharing your love of a favorite place will help you create special memories together. Whether it’s a day trip to a national park, a weekend in a nearby city, or a week-long resort vacation, such trips will be remembered by the child as a special journey with grandma or grandpa.
One of the great advantages of traveling with your grandchild is the opportunity for both of you to be away from home. Being on the road means being free of chores, errands, the computer – any familiar routine – and opens up all kinds of possibilities for the unexpected. The chance to read a train or bus schedule, ride a ferry, stay in a motel, eat out, or have a picnic offers opportunities to discover new parts of the world, of yourself, and of your grandchildren.
Involve your grandchild in planning the trip, as well as his or her parents to be sure they’re comfortable with the plans. Then hit the road! After you’ve traveled, an album of your experiences together can be an ongoing delight for everyone in the family.
A large percentage of grandparents live more than 200 miles from their grandchildren. Children’s lives can change very quickly, so long-distance grandparents sometimes struggle to keep up with the day-to-day details of their grandkids’ lives. Often, it just requires special efforts to communicate with your grandchild and establish the foundation for a strong long-term relationship.
When your grandchild is a baby, toddler, or very young child, engage the parents to keep up to date on your grandchild’s progress, his or her current interests, and the type of reading or viewing material that might be appropriate. When the child is old enough to interact, whether on the phone, via e-mail, or through regular mail, start engaging the child directly.
For the computer-savvy, the Internet can add a whole new dimension to long-distance grandparenting.
E-mail, instant messaging, and video conferencing can help shrink the miles and keep you in touch with your grandchildren. Use the available technology to engage your grandchild in creative activities rather than simply asking, “How’s school?” For example, you can play online games with your grandchild, start an online book club or fantasy sports league with them, or share videos of you or your grandkids enjoying a favorite hobby.
Try exchanging jokes or favorite family recipes via e-mail, or have them scan or fax report cards or pictures they’ve drawn. As well as the Internet, there are ways to help
long-distance grandparenting:
– Discount long-distance phone plans or inexpensive phone cards (even international ones) make it possible to say in touch regardless of the distance. Try calling at a regular time when your grandchild is not rushed and has time to talk.
– When talking to your grandchildren, make notes about their interests, books they’ve been reading, their doll’s name—anything you can repeat in the next conversation so they know you’ve been listening.
– Snail mail. Even before a child can read, he or she will be able to recognize their name on an envelope, and will love the feeling of importance implied by receiving mail.
– Audio or video recordings. You can record yourself reading a few of your favorite children’s books and send the recording along with the books, or make a tape of songs you would sing if you were together.
– Family scrapbooks. Kids love to hear stories about their family. If you can’t be with them to recount family stories first hand, try writing them down. Add photos or create a scrapbook (online or off). Encourage your grandkids to add their own memories and photos.
All of these small things communicate your interest and love. Whenever possible, though, try to be present for the most important events in your grandchild’s life, such as graduations, recitals, holidays, or whatever events are important to your family.
In November’s Grandparenting Part 3, we’ll look at step-grandparenting as well as full time grandparenting.
Helpguide.org©. Used by permission. Lawrence Robinson and Jeanne Segal, Ph.D. contributed to this article.
