728x90
my iParenting
From Our Sponsors
e-newsletters
Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters

new terms of use
new privacy policy
award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Home › Articles › Parenting Preschoolers › Growing up With Grandparents

Growing up With Grandparents

Making Your Parents Part of Your Child's Life

By Kimberly Austin

Pages:  1  2  3  

Barker stayed with her grandmother off and on, because she had more friends in her grandmother's neighborhood and the house was closer to her school. She says her relationship with her grandparents was " natural," but McQuade-Lancaster pointed out that for most children, Grandma and Grandpa are no longer over the river and through the woods.

Grandpa Many families use the holidays as an excuse to visit with relatives. That's a good start, but it's not enough. "I suggest sitting down with the grandparents and making sure visitation happens at least once a month," says McQuade-Lancaster.

Planning Activities
If your children haven't spent much time with their gradparents lately, use the holidays to get the family back on track. Worried that your children will be bored? McQuade-Lancaster suggests planning some special activities to keep everyone happy.

Take advantage of special skills your parents may have – let them teach your children woodworking or embroidery, for example. And have your children return the favor and teach their grandparents how to send e-mail. Don't forget to show them how to open attachments, so they can see all the lovely photographs you'll send them each week!

Other ways your child and his grandparents can get to know each other include:

  • Writing a story together. Grandma can write, and your budding Rembrandt can illustrate.
  • Drawing a family tree. Grandparents can fill in the murky details of twice-removed cousins. Use old family photos for leaves.
  • Playing everybody's favorite game: What was Mommy (or Daddy) like when s/he was my age?
  • Spending some time in the kitchen. Those secret family recipes have to be handed down to the next generation!

Pages:  1  2  3  

Want to see more?

Comments

There are no comments for this article yet.Be the first to add a comment.

Post As:
Enter your comment below:
Title
Comment Text
CAPTCHA
Please note that any comments submitted become the property of Disney Family / iParenting and can be edited and posted at our discrection.