Grandkids and grandparents have some of the best bonds around. When you think back on your beloved grandparents, what instantly comes to your mind? Is it baking with your grandma? Is it going out walking with your grandpa? Maybe it’s as simple as sitting together and watching shows. Whatever the case may be, that bond between a grandparent and a grandchild is incredibly strong. So if you’re a parent, why not help strengthen that bond between your child and their grandparents?
Whether it’s your inlaws or your parents, your little one deserves to have that special bond. Regardless of whether your parents are getting assistance from care.com or not, they still need to have family in their life, especially their grandkids. So, here are some ways to encourage that special bonding!
Host a Weekly Dinner
If your parents or inlaws live fairly close, why not have dinner weekly or even biweekly? It sounds small, and granted; it is; these are where some of the more special memories are. It doesn’t need to be a birthday, a holiday, or even an anniversary. Instead, why not just make this normal? It gives your children a chance to bond, even if it’s a small meal. Plus, if you think about it, it’s going to give you a nice chance to bond with your parents or inlaws as well.
Invite Grandparents to Extracurricular Activities
For many children, their grandparents are the most important adults in their lives. Whether they are there to cheer them on at school events, help with homework, or simply listen to them talk about their day, kids love the one-on-one attention from their grandparents. Encourage your kids to communicate with their grandparents often, especially when it comes to watching them in plays, sports, or even just a practice session. In addition, many grandparents have special hobbies and skills that they enjoy teaching their grandchildren. Whether it is fishing or sewing, passing down these skills can be a great bonding experience for the entire family.
Plan a Trip
If your kids’ grandparents live far away, it can be difficult to schedule a time for them to spend together. However, there are still ways for them to bond over one-on-one excursions. One of the best options is to plan a special day trip or overnight excursion with the grandparents and your kids. This could be a trip to a local park, a nature center, or even an amusement park. If your kids are older, they may appreciate more hands-on activities like gardening or sewing lessons. But a full-on vacation with everyone involved can honestly be fantastic too. Plus, a full-on family vacation with the grandparents can be one of the best ways to spice up any summer!
Grandparents Live Too Far Away? No Problem!
Just because the grandparents may live far doesn’t mean that relationships need to be nonexistent. Having an ongoing pen-pal relationship by encouraging your child to write letters or draw pictures and send them to their grandparents on a regular basis is also a great way to keep a close connection going. Likewise, sending photos or videos via FaceTime, Messenger Kids, and Snapchat is a great way to help your children connect with their grandparents over a distance.
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