The Importance Of Grandchild-Grandparent Bond

Last week I attended a very enlightening talk about the important influence that grandparents played on their grandchildren; I support the speaker’s opinions as my grandparents were a wonderful influence on me as my parents and in-laws were on my children. It was best to foster a very close bond between grandparents and grandchildren.

Advantages of the grandparents-grandchildren bond:

Establishing a strong grandchild-grandparents bond provides a sense of cultural heritage and family history as grandparents are great role models and influences.

Next the grandparents have the grandchildren’s interest in their mind and provide them with love and make them feel safe.

Thirdly grandparents and grandchildren spend a lot of time playing and reading; this dedicated attention helps to improve a child’s developmental and learning skills.

Overnight stays at the grandparent’s place encourages healthy development and develops independence in grandchildren; they are less traumatic than sleepovers with peers.  

Ways to encourage the grandchild-grandparent bond:

1) Plan visits: Plan frequent visits if grandparents live in the same town and encourage grandparents to also visit you often. Plan regular visits to grandparents that are out of town; anticipating and planning each trip would help the child regard the time as special.

2) Post snapshots of grandparents and keep a special family album: This would help familiarize children with the grandparents and also up-date them of other family members.

3) Embrace technology to stay in touch: Stay in touch through Skype, e-mail and telephone to talk, write, send pictures and videos of their young children in action and encourage grandparents to record stories that you could play at the child’s bedtime. If grandparents are not technically savvy, encourage both children and grandparents to write letters to each other; they will soon anticipate the regular communication.

4) Chart a family tree and encourage grandparents to share family stories: All children, young and old love to know about their ancestors and relatives; parents could provide paper and drawing supplies to chart out the family tree.

5) Encourage grandparents to pass on their special skills and hobbies: Create an interest in children and provide them the time and tools to learn the hobbies and special skills like knitting, woodworking, or cooking from their grandparents that they would love to pass on.

Safety at grandparents:

Make safety a priority when visiting grandparents; children are not used to having old people around as grandparents are not of young children; the presence of household dangers could make for hazards and visits to the emergency room.

Here are a few tips:

1) Parents could collaborate with the grandparents to childproof the home; this ensures putting dangerous items and substances like cleaning products, medications, razors, and knives out of reach of young children. Addressing any potential safety hazards also means putting away small, breakable items that could choke the young children. They should all be locked up in cabinets.

 

2) Parents also need to teach and advice children not to throw items on the ground while playing; grandparents could trip on them and have fractures and other dangers. Older children can be taught how to play orderly that would not endanger their grandparents’ safety.

Finally all this makes for the great grandchild-grandparent bond.

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