“If a family has an older person in it, it possesses a jewel”
-Chinese proverb
One of the loveliest gifts of life is the relationship that can be shared between a grandparent and grandchild. There are so many ways to involve grandchildren in the care of their aging grandparent. Peace of mind home care often means involving the grandkids. There are many ways that they can add enrichment to your aging loved one’s life.
Family History:
Kids may find learning history is more interesting to learn from someone who actually lived it. Children can find out what it was like to grow up during the Great Depression or World War II from grandparents who experienced life during that time. Personal stories are much easier to remember than lists of data from books. Just as much as children like to learn from stories, grandparents may find it fulfilling to talk to their grandchildren about what life was like at different periods of their lifetime. There are many that wish they had realized that family history is a fragile gift. It vanishes with time, as recollections fade, and as loved ones pass on. Many wish they had known that the most important facet of family history is maintaining a record for future generations to have. A fun activity from grandkids may be to interview their aging loved ones and record in writing or in audio tape their stories. This could be an incredible way for the aging loved one to leave a legacy and a special way for the younger generation to bond.
Life skills and Wisdom:
When your aging loved one was growing up, many learned skills such as sewing, gardening, baking, farming or woodworking that are great things to pass on to grandchildren, as they may not be commonly taught anymore, but are still very useful skills to possess. Teaching their younger counterparts these skills enriches the grandparent as much as the grandchild. Grandparents can not only teach life skills but also can provide their wisdom for life lessons and other advice because they’ve often lived through the same or similar experience. Knowing how a grandparent dealt with problems in their lives and knowing that they got through everything can be a valuable tool. Grandparents have lived long enough to realize not to get upset over the little things. Young grandchildren can learn to adjust their priorities after discussing problems with their grandparents, who have a broader world view.
For grandparents and grandchildren that are not close by, sending postcards and letters can be a great way to remain close and develop the art of communication in written form. Both will have a great time waiting for the next letter to come in the mail and it can serve as a great encouragement to an aging loved one to receive a letter from a grandchild. So whether the grandchildren and your aging loved one live in the same town, the same house, or in different communities, there are so many ways for them to enrich one another’s lives.
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