Ideas of How to Connect with your Grandchildren During the Pandemic.
They grow up so fast and we don’t want to miss out! For many Grandparents, the hardest thing about the pandemic is not being able to see our grandchildren in person. If this is you, you'll want to read this. Here are TEN GREAT IDEAS of how to connect to your grandchildren during the Pandemic or even after this madness is over.
1) If you haven’t got some type of way to connect with a video so you can at least see your grandchildren, find someone who can set you up on your cell phone, iPad, or a computer. There is Facetime Video, What’s Ap, Skype, Zoom and so many more options nowadays.
2) Set up a regular time to connect with your grandchildren (Every second morning, every Sunday evening, etc.)
3) When you see them on video, engage with them:
- Read them a story or read a story together
- Sing songs
- Ask them to show you their room and ask questions about what they are doing, what they are reading, what they are playing. Get them to show you.
- Show them what you are doing – the flowers you planted, the tractor you are repairing, the bread baking in the oven.
4) Remember letters! Write letters and cards to remind them of you and ask for letters back.
5) Send goodie packages with home baked goods or things you make for them – Grandmother’s Cookies are always the best or perhaps you are carving wooden figures for them or knitting them a scarf.
6) Decide on a project to do together:
- write a story or a song or poem together
- share your favourite recipes and do a simultaneous cook off.
- genealogy project - tell them about their ancestors and send and show pictures of them
- teach them a skill like knitting or drawing, how to make bread, how to change a bike tire
- read a chapter book together each taking turns reading a chapter and talking about it.
7) Send each other videos of things you are doing like grandpa in the field on his tractor or doing yard work, you gardening, them painting rocks. Explain what you are doing as you go along. (My 2-year-old grandson loved the video of an excavator putting rocks into a dump trunk that I took a video of and did a commentary on. He watched it over and over).
8) Do something special during this time away from one another so they will remember you. Like:
- A keepsake. (I wrote a children’s book “Shall We Dance” for my grandson who lives very far away. It is a momentum he can keep. The proceeds from the profits I will put into a bank account for him.)
- Photo Album
- Recipe book
- Paint a picture for them
9) Express your love - blow kisses, always end with “I love you and miss you,” send silly snap chats (get the grandkids to teach you how to do this), or send photos of them when they are little or of you or their parents. Just send these randomly to show them you are thinking about them.
10) Dance, take turns teaching each other how to dance – you may teach them how to Polka or jive and they can teach you some Hip-Hop moves! You may need a participation with parents, brothers and sisters, your spouse or caregiver for this one!
Summary - The pandemic has been very hard on families mentally. It is so important to stay connected. I hope these ideas have inspired you.
Sending a virtual hug, from one grandparent to another, with love,
Ingrid Deringer
Ingrid is the author of a children's book, "Shall We Dance" and the novel "If I Could Live Again" available on her website, stores, and Amazon. Her website is: www.ingridderinger.com. She is a semi-retired Acupuncturist living in Saskatchewan Canada and the grandmother of four.
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