GRAND Magazine- Winter 2021 - 25
long distance grandparenting
When it comes to New Year's
resolutions, behavioral scientists recommend creating bitesized goals that can actually be
achieved. Here are 3 connection
resolutions to consider this year:
First, learn something new
about one of your grandchildren every single month.
Maybe it's the name of their best
friend or their favorite book,
television show, website, or restaurant. Finding out this kind of
information not only gives you
questions to ask your grandchildren, but it also means you can
add meaningful details into your
conversations, letters, or text
messages. Remembering their
best friend Hannah was really
nervous about a test - and then
asking how Hannah did on the test - sends an important message to grandchildren: 'I am listening and
paying attention to you and your life'.
"
...you can still make it
a habit to spend time
on your relationship every week.
"
Time and attention are both grandparent superpowers worth slinging around as much as possible!
25 GRAND
WINTER 2021
Recording these details in a notebook really helps
- especially when nurturing relationships with 4 or 5
grandchildren at the same time.
Second, spend time working on the relationship
when you can't be with them. Do something Behind
the Scenes to brighten up their mailbox. If you lived
around the corner from your grandchildren, you might
have them over for pancakes every Saturday morning. As a long-distance grandparent, you don't get
to spend this kind of face-to-face time together each
week, but you can still make it a habit to spend time
on your relationship every week.
A few years ago, I spoke to a grandmother with
the best of intentions to send more snail
mail to her grandchildren. But it didn't
happen regularly, and she always felt she
could be doing more to nurture the relationship. She decided to start a monthly
coffee date - with herself - to spend time
writing letters or cards to her grandchildren. By keeping stamps in her purse,
she was able to post letters to them
immediately afterward.
Third, write, " Thinking of You "
notes to your grandchildren. Whenever
you think about your grandchild, write a
note with the date on it and pop it into
a jar. It can be as simple as I'm eating
chocolate ice-cream and thinking of you
because I know it's your favorite or even
just I am really missing you today. You
can send them every few months or
keep them as a gift for a special milestone birthday. They might not be old
enough to fully appreciate it right now but one day it
will mean the world. Think about how much you love
coming across a handwritten card from a grandparent.
Happy Connecting!
Kerry Byrne, Ph.D. is a care and connections
research scientist focused on helping
grandparents nurture strong bonds with
their grandchildren from a distance. For
more ideas about how to stay connected to
your grandchildren, you can sign-up for her
weekly ideas and inspirations on her website:
www.thelongdistancegrandparent.com
http://www.thelongdistancegrandparent.com
GRAND Magazine- Winter 2021
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of GRAND Magazine- Winter 2021
Contents
GRAND Magazine- Winter 2021 - 1
GRAND Magazine- Winter 2021 - 2
GRAND Magazine- Winter 2021 - 3
GRAND Magazine- Winter 2021 - Contents
GRAND Magazine- Winter 2021 - 5
GRAND Magazine- Winter 2021 - 6
GRAND Magazine- Winter 2021 - 7
GRAND Magazine- Winter 2021 - 8
GRAND Magazine- Winter 2021 - 9
GRAND Magazine- Winter 2021 - 10
GRAND Magazine- Winter 2021 - 11
GRAND Magazine- Winter 2021 - 12
GRAND Magazine- Winter 2021 - 13
GRAND Magazine- Winter 2021 - 14
GRAND Magazine- Winter 2021 - 15
GRAND Magazine- Winter 2021 - 16
GRAND Magazine- Winter 2021 - 17
GRAND Magazine- Winter 2021 - 18
GRAND Magazine- Winter 2021 - 19
GRAND Magazine- Winter 2021 - 20
GRAND Magazine- Winter 2021 - 21
GRAND Magazine- Winter 2021 - 22
GRAND Magazine- Winter 2021 - 23
GRAND Magazine- Winter 2021 - 24
GRAND Magazine- Winter 2021 - 25
GRAND Magazine- Winter 2021 - 26
GRAND Magazine- Winter 2021 - 27
GRAND Magazine- Winter 2021 - 28
GRAND Magazine- Winter 2021 - 29
GRAND Magazine- Winter 2021 - 30
GRAND Magazine- Winter 2021 - 31
GRAND Magazine- Winter 2021 - 32
GRAND Magazine- Winter 2021 - 33
GRAND Magazine- Winter 2021 - 34
GRAND Magazine- Winter 2021 - 35
GRAND Magazine- Winter 2021 - 36
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2024summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2024spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2024winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2023fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2023summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2023winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2022fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2022summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2022spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2022winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2021fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2021summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2021spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2021winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2020fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2020fall_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2020summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2020spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2020winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20191112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20190910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20190708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20190506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20190304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20190102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20181112_drm
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20181112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20180910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20180708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20180506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20180304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20180102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20171112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20170910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20170708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20170506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20170304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20170102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20161112_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20160910_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20160708_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20160506_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20160304_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20160102_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20151112_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20150910_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20150708_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20150506_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20150304_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20150102_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/201401112_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20140910_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20140708_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20140506_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20140304_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20140102_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20131112_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20130910_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20130708_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20130506_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20130304_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20130102_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20121112_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20120910_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20120708_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20120506_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20120304_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20120102_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20111112_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20110910_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20110708_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20110506_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20110304_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20110102_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20101112_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20100910_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20100708_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20100506_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20100304_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/201001_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/200912_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/200911_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/200910_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/200909_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/200908_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/200907_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/200906_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/200905_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20080910_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/200904_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/200903_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/200902_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20081112_v6
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com