This month I’ve been considering the importance of the grandparent/grandchild relationship. We had such a wonderful time with our grandkids, but the time was short. We always want to make the most of our time together and find ways to connect even when we are half a world away.

I took the points and a few quotes from a great article at: care.com The article is called: 10 Things Grandchildren Can Learn From Their Grandparentsgra

“The relationship between a grandchild and grandparent is a very special one. While grandparents act as an authority figure and provide unconditional love, they also get to spoil their grandkids in a way parents simply can’t. But beyond that, grandparents also wield incredible influence. Here are ten things grandchildren can — should — learn from their grandparents.”

• History- Learning history from books can be dry and hard to remember. Stories heard from a loving grandparent will be remembered for a lifetime. World events interpreted through a grandparent’s life can change a child’s perspective on the world they live in.
• A New Skill Set- There just isn’t time to teach many skills in school. Grandparents learned handcrafts, car repair and so much more that they would love to teach their grandkids.
• Wisdom- Grandparents have life lessons and other advice to share because they’ve often lived through the same or similar experience — possibly more than once. Knowing how grandparents dealt with problems in their lives, and knowing that they got through everything just fine, makes children feel they’ll be okay, too.
• Family History- Grandparents can give their grandchildren a connection with real people in their family. It helps children feel they belong to a family, even if they can’t see all of these other family members.
• Humor- Teasing is a part of growing up. When grandkids are teased by a loving grandparent, they can learn how to react when teased by their peers.
• Listening- Listening to grandparents, helps kids learn to listen carefully to others.
• Games- Grandparents can teach games that don’t rely on electronic devices. Children can learn the joy of playing with real people. (One of my happiest childhood memories was playing canasta with an old lady in our neighborhood for the privilege of picking as many cherries as I wanted!)
• Emotional Support- Often children and teens will talk to their grandparents about things they don’t feel free to talk to their parents about. Grandparents can be an impartial source of help.
• Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff- “Grandparents have lived long enough to realize not to get upset over the little things; life is too short. Young grandchildren think everything is hyper-important, but can learn to adjust their priorities after discussing problems with their grandparents, who have a broader world view.”
• Mail- Grandparents can be great penpals. Snail mail means children have some souvenirs of their conversations with their grandparents. Email may be more immediate and accessible. However, they do it, mail helps children read and write and learn from people who really love them.
• I want to add one more. Faith- Grandparents’ strong faith is a wonderful influence on their grandchildren. Go to church together, pray together, and find hope and joy together.

“Grandparents come with years’ worth of wisdom and love to share with their grandkids. Take the time to get to really know and learn from them while they’re here. They’ll cherish the time they get to spend with their grandkids and, in turn, the kids will gain insight and character they can pass onto their own children and grandchildren someday. There’s no better way to pass on family traits than through time spent with one another.”

Read the original article at: www.care.com

If your parents are not able to spend time with your children, adopt grandparents for your children. Perhaps in your church or neighborhood you will find some people to act as grandparents to your children. It is worth the time and effort and will brighten the lives of both your children and their ‘grandparents.’