GRAND Magazine - Winter 2024 - 26

long-distance grandparent
GIVE THEM TIME ALONE
MAKE CARDS OR WRITE
WITH THE FAMILY AND YOUR
GRANDCHILDREN WHEN
THEY VISIT.
The excitement of the long-distance
grandparents visiting can
be a big deal for the whole family,
especially when it's an international
visit - and let's be honest, you want
to know them and spend time with
them too!
It's so healthy for kids to have all
of you around at once to demonstrate
the cohesiveness, connectedness,
and breadth of the family they
belong to and share.
It's also important for long-distance
LETTERS WITH YOUR
GRANDCHILDREN TO SEND
TO THE LONG-DISTANCE
GRANDPARENTS.
If you have your grandchildren
with you and are looking
for ways to keep them busy,
get out the crafty stuff and
help them create a card or
letter for the long-distance
grandparents. For little ones,
pick up stickers to decorate
the cards and envelopes. For
older grandchildren, pick
up fancy pens or a calligraphy set
grandparents
to spend time with the family and their grandchildren
without you. Especially when they first arrive,
they need time to get into the family routine, which
you likely know because you live nearby.
But let them have the sweet morning cuddles (or
mornings with the cranky teens!), walks and pick-ups
to and from daycare or school, and the coveted bedtime
storytime.
Everyone lives at a distance in our family, but when
the international grandparents visit, we make sure the
guards who live closer aren't there for the first few
days at least. This gives the international grandparents
particular one-on-one time with all of us.
This will look different for all families, but the main
thing is to make sure you give the long-distance
grandparents ample time to spend with the grandchildren,
no matter the age of the grandchild.
26 GRAND WINTER 2023
and learn calligraphy together while writing to the
long-distance grandparent.
CREATING REAL MAIL FOR OTHERS AND
POSTING IT TOGETHER TEACHES YOUR GRANDCHILD
SO MUCH, INCLUDING:
thinking about them.* The importance of letting people know we are
happy and lov* The value of taking time to make others feel
people besides t* There are other ways to communicate with
And as a bonus for you, it communicates that no
ed.
exting!
matter where people live, there are always ways to
stay in touch - which might very well come in handy
when they leave for college one day and are used to
writing to grandparents from a distance.
TEXT THEM PHOTOS OR VIDEOS OF YOUR
GRANDCHILDREN.
Sometimes, the parents lose track of doing this, and
who better understands the joy of receiving a photo
or video of a grandchild than you?
It takes seconds to send a photo and minutes to
send a video message to a long-distance nana.
It can be anything from having them say I miss
you, Nana to what the weather is like where you are
to having them perform a magic trick or a few jokes
you've taught them.
It doesn't take long, but when you include the longdistance
grandparents in your activities and conversations,
it helps your grandchild understand the scope of
the family you all share and that they are loved right
there with you - and worldwide.
Letting children know that everyone in a family is
important - no matter how often we see them - is a
significant life lesson. One day, they are likely to live
away from you - and you want them to understand
two important things: relationships can exist and
thrive from a distance with effort, and a grandparent's
love travels with and to them, no matter where they
go.
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: thelongdistancegrandparent.com
https://twitter.com/grandmmagazine?lang=en https://www.facebook.com/GRANDmagazine https://thelongdistancegrandparent.com/ https://thelongdistancegrandparent.com/ https://thelongdistancegrandparent.com/
GRAND Magazine - Winter 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of GRAND Magazine - Winter 2024
