Dallas County Living Well Magazine November/December 2016 | Page 31

with your Grandkids
You can create a deep, loving relationship with your grandchildren by sharing the things you love with them, and by
being available to learn about the ideas and activities that
excite them.

Take it easy together
Make an effort to enjoy leisure time with your grandchildren.
As a grandparent, you get to interact with your
grandchildren without the same daily pressures of
a parent—you don’t have to worry about driving
carpool or juggling making dinner for the family
with soccer practice and grocery shopping. Slow
down and become really absorbed in an activity.

Go outside
Children love the outdoors, and trips to the park
can be a great jumping-off point for some wonderful adventures and happy memories..

Share your interests or your work
Engaging in activities you love or your grandchild loves can be a great way to spend time
together and learn about each other. Sometimes,
activities that you might not expect your grandchildren to be interested in, like knitting or gardening, might turn out to provide an important
point of connection for you.
If you are still working, a visit to your place of
work can add a dimension to your grandchild’s
perception of you. If you are retired, pictures
and stories about what your working days were
like can do the same.

Making the most of your
grandparenting time

Carve out one-on-one time. On occasion,
spend time with individual grandchildren. It will
give you an opportunity to bond, without competition, with one grandchild at a time.
See the sights. Concerts and plays, movies, science
centers and museums, parks or walks in the neighborhood
provide opportunities to be together and to exchange ideas
and opinions.
Play games. Board and card games are a unique opportunity to watch kids in action and to see how they operate
in the world. Games also allow you to help your grandchild
learn to be a good sport and play fairly.
Communicate family history. Tell stories about games
or trips you shared when the grandchild’s parents were
young. This is a great way to weave a ‘tapestry’ of shared
experiences for the whole family.

Long-distance grandparenting
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 trying 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.
Email, instant messaging, and video conferencing
can all help to 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 share videos of you or your grandkids enjoying a favorite hobby. Have
them scan or fax report cards or pictures they’ve drawn.
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. 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.

Grandparents’ rights
Some circumstances make it necessary for grandparents to
seek legal help. If there’s been a divorce, death of one parent, estrangement, or the suspicion that your grandchildren
are being neglected or abused you may want to consult a
lawyer or advocacy group to ensure access to your grandchildren. The goal is to maintain the children’s connection
to a family. Seek assistance from an attorney for help investigating your rights.
DALLAS COUNTY Living Well Magazine | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

29