Grandparents offer love, knowledge, and wisdom gained from many years of living. So, all kids should get the opportunity to spend quality time with these older patriarchs and matriarchs.
Children who share a warm and close relationship with grandparents have been shown to be more secure, well-adjusted, less likely to take dangerous risks, and experience a deeper sense of belonging. But in these hectic times, sometimes it’s not always simple to form those bonds — especially if there is distance, busy lives, or generations between them.
Here are five ways grandparents can take the initiative and develop stronger bonds with their grandchildren.
1. Make Ongoing Quality Time a Priority
Relationships gel and strengthen when there’s an adequate investment of quality time. If the grandparents are local, they can plan weekly or bi-weekly activities. This can be something as simple as Sunday dinners, after-school visits, or walks around the block.
Where distance is a problem, technology is an answer. Make regular video calls, during which the grandparents can read their grandkids bedtime stories, share updates on what’s happening in the family, or just talk about the day. Letters, photos, or voice messages sent between calls maintain the ongoing communication.
Grandparents who really want to be proactive can consider relocating to be closer to their grandchildren. That could mean choosing a senior living community strategically close to loved ones so that grandparent-grandchildren meetings can be easier for everyone involved.
2. Create Mutual Rituals and Traditions
Traditions create memories that can last forever. Grandparents and grandchildren can create traditions that are unique to them. They can include things like the following:
- Baking holiday cookies together every year
- Having a monthly “Grandparent Sleepover”
- Watching a special sporting event together, even over video call
These mutual traditions can provide children with something to anticipate and allow natural, organic conversation.
3. Promote Storytelling and Life Lessons
Grandparents are living history books — and children love stories. So, grandparents can share stories with kids about their own childhood, what they learned, and even funny family tales.
Family history and belonging are taught to children through contact with grandparents. This can also instill in children a love of history and introduce values such as perseverance, work ethic, and gratitude.
Recording these stories or having them transcribed can create cherished keepsakes and priceless family heirlooms.
4. Promote Intergenerational Activities and Learning
The children and the grandparents do not need to share the same hobbies, but shared interests can be a bridge between the generations. Grandparents can take the initiative by encouraging two-way sharing and learning.
For instance, grandparents can learn the following from their grandchildren:
- How to text using an old phone
- New games, songs, or apps
- TikTok dances or trends
And grandkids can learn the following from grandparents:
- How to cook traditional family dishes
- Woodworking, knitting, or crafts
- Old board games or playing cards from earlier times
- Traditional music or dance from the past
This two-way sharing and learning can produce mutual appreciation, respect, and good times.
5. Model Respect and Appreciation
Children learn to respect their grandparents from their own parents. So, a good grandparent-grandchild relationship requires parental involvement to facilitate together time.
This will be easier if the parents and grandparents have a good relationship and are on the same page. Even so, children and grandparents can sometimes share a bond that transcends intergenerational tension. It’ll just require more effort, which will be worth it.
Strong grandparent-grandchildren bonds aid in children’s social and emotional development — and create memories for all to cherish. Parents can also help facilitate bonds by organizing frequent visits, as stories and activities continue to be exchanged.
By making quality time, consistency, and appreciation a priority, grandparents can take a leading role in forming a strong, lifelong bond with their grandkids.
