Simple Pleasures: Treasuring the Gift of Grandparents
http://www.decor-ideas.org 09/04/2014 22:15 Decor Ideas
National Grandparents Day is September 7 in the U.S., but anytime is a good time to honor (and just plain keep in touch with) grandparents. Whether it’s your own grandparents you want to connect with, or you would love to see your kids become closer to their grandparents, or you are a grandparent, these ideas are for you.
Host a family dinner. Sharing a meal around the same table is a wonderful way to connect generations. Help children get involved in a celebratory dinner through making decorations, like a simple bunting made from scraps of fabric or colorful paper, writing a sign or picking flowers in the backyard for a bouquet. But even better than the occasional special dinner would be bringing the generations together for simple family dinners more often, right?
Make a pilgrimage to an old favorite. Nearly every family has one or more deeply beloved establishments (my husband’s family has nearly mythologized Pepe’s Pizza in New Haven, Connecticut, and Polly’s Pancake Parlor in Sugar Hill, New Hampshire). Make a special trip to that bakery, deli or restaurant and bring home everyone’s favorites. The trip will be rewarding not only for the delicious food but for the stories it will spark.
Share a skill. It could be anything — quilting, playing piano, working on cars, speaking another language. The important thing is spending time together and passing along knowledge and wisdom.
Share stories about old photos. Photos don’t need to be in a fancy album to provide rich material for conversation. Set out a random assortment in a shallow bowl or platter, and talk about the people and places you see. Sharing family history is a great gift.
Use objects to spark storytelling. Photographs aren’t the only things that carry meaning — perhaps a collection of jewelry, set of china or special piece of furniture could start a fascinating conversation.
Project idea: Photograph special objects in a grandparent’s house, then make a photo book with the photo on one page and the story that goes with it on the facing page. Intersperse photos of Grandma and Grandpa during the time they acquired certain objects to really bring the book to life.
Give an assisted living space more personality. It can be difficult to make a room in a facility feel just like home — but putting in some effort to personalize the space can help a great deal. Get help from a friend with an eye for design to help out or splurge on a decorator to make the most of the space. While some furniture from home is comforting to have around, not all the pieces are likely to fit — edit to the most-loved pieces, frame and hang favorite artwork and photographs, and pick up a few new items to freshen the space.
Just remember, unsolicited “help” may not be welcome — the whole point is to help your parent or grandparent create a space they love.
Share a recipe. Pull up a chair and start taking notes — learning a family recipe is a treasured experience. If a grandparent is not up to doing the cooking, give him or her the chair and take instruction as you proceed with the recipe.
Project idea: Collect favorite family recipes in a book and have copies made for close family members and friends. Or have a particularly treasured recipe printed on an apron or tea towel, or painted inside a cupboard door.
Have the kids sleep over. Or even visit “Camp Grandma.” The bond between grandparent and grandchild can be something special indeed. Try not to worry about whether Grandma and Grandpa do things the way you do (because they won’t), and just let your kids enjoy this special time.
Give your teen room to forge a bond with Grandma and Grandpa. Maintaining, and even deepening, a bond with members of an older generation can be wonderful for teens — and the grandparents who love them.
Instead of always going along, see if your teen would like to take Grandma and Grandpa out to lunch on their own sometime, or even spend a night at their house. You’ll never know if you don’t ask.
Get creative with correspondence. While it’s true that some grandparents will never embrace email, Facebook or Skype, others will. If a grandparent is interested but not sure where to begin, offer as much support as you can — if it happens, it may be a rewarding way to keep in contact with family.
Of course, online is not the only way! Encouraging the younger generation to embrace written correspondence is also important. Make it fun by getting personalized stationery, making your own cards or sharing photos with captions instead of a traditional note.
Tell us: How do you connect with your grandparents — or grandkids?
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