Links in the family chain

As grandparents we have a golden opportunity to keep diverse family members linked.



One natural way is at holidays. Our family puts the emphasis on Thanksgiving together and leave Christmas for kids to spend on their own or with other family. Cooking is shared and laughter abounds!

While siblings (or step siblings) may not be ready to spend time together, the next generation of cousins are usually willing to do anything fun with grandparents and whoever else shows up. This summer I am going to coordinate the 9 year old girl from Iowa with the 10 year old boy from Michigan.

The other link we foster is the intergenerational one. This month I am using the opportunity of a sibling's 60 birthday to include the young teen granddaughters in the event. So the spa day will include women ages 13-76!

And the benefits of aunts and uncles to children is one more link we can foster. Later this month we rented a big house and invited any family who want to visit to come and say as long as they want. the bedroom use coordination required a spread sheet, but I anticipate a lot of laughs!

All I can offer are opportunities - and food!


 

Listen to me!

As fascinating as all our individual technology is, families are more important.

That sound like a no rained, but consider your last family gatherings. It was not only the kids with noses in the phones, pads and boxes, it was the adults texting some thigh that could not wait and the AARP crowd were crushing candy and playing scrabble with friends. Really those little devices are mind filling! Plus I can text and talk at the same time...

But no one can keep an eye on the electronics and LISTEN at the same time. Listening requires eye contact and a mind clear of our own agendas. Listening means we do not even prepare our next comment while the person is speaking. We remember how to do it! Let's be the leaders in bringing it back.

Dinner at Grandparents can be TV and tech free! At Thanksgiving we actually gathered all the cell phone in one place and took a picture. Then dared people to leave them! Not everyone "could" but some us formed a impromptu band and others gravitated to the basketball court.

It starts with us - listening, exchanging ideas, waiting for thoughts to be completed. People who are listened to feel more valued that winning Tetrus!