Grandparents--Take Action!

When the time comes for you to be a grandparent, you should not look at this as a sign of getting old. Instead, look at it as a time to guide and experience all the activities you did in your life over again and experience new ones with the new child. There is nothing more satisfying than watching the eyes of a grandchild light up as you teach them how to fish, how to read, or see a hummingbird up close for the first time.

Being a child in the 50's allowed me to be a free spirit, leaving the house early morning and not returning until Mom called or it was sundown. During this time, my friends and I would enjoy countless hours of building playhouses, digging underground forts, riding bicycles, and gathering coke bottles for deposit in our wagon. We had no worry of "Stranger Danger" and would sometimes pack a lunch and ride out of town and be gone all day without our mom's even worrying about us.

Sadly, those days are gone and kids are required to stay close to a phone, inside playing videos or watching the Cartoon Network for entertainment. Mom and Dad are both working and the oldest child is usually left at home to babysit. This is where the grandparent can help.

Plan activities with your grandchildren. Don't wait for them to call you--you'll never get the phone call. Families with children are too busy with school, after-school activities, homework, and chores that the week goes by and still you haven't made contact. You have to take the initiative to get the communication going between you and your grandkids.

By establishing solid communication with your kids and your grandkids, you will be included in all of their family activities. Make plans with the parents to stay for the weekend or have the kids visit at your house. Don't sit on the couch and pout because no one has called you. Take the initiate and become a real asset to your family--not someone that they see as a burden. Become a "great" grandparent! You'll be younger for doing it!