SuperGramma

Since summer is stretching ahead of us and your grandkids will probably be bored before you know it, I’ve got some ideas. These are excerpts from my guide called “How To Create Newsletters Your Grandkids Will Treasure.” I’ve chosen a few of the
hobby and activity related ideas and hope you can make use of them, either when with your grandchildren or through the Internet.

1. Collecting Together
   Decide on something to collect together. Exchange information and materials you find and take pictures of your finds (even young kids can use digital cameras). Your collection could be rocks, coins, stamps, spoons, sports cards, recipes, models, even stuffed animals or miniature cars.
2. Share a hobby.
   Grow identical gardens and display photos to show how each of your gardens is doing. Mention tips that might help your young gardener. You could try to grow the largest pumpkin, or the biggest tomatoes. Or decide on a recipe you can each cook and take photos of the finished products.Share sewing, woodworking, building, anything you could be doing together even though the miles are separating you. Between newsletter issues, phone or email to see how they are making out. But be sure to publish the results in the newsletter. After all, this will be a treasured record to be shared with future generations.
3. Lego Challenge
   Tell a story or give a challenge and have them do a lego model related to it. Publish a photo of the results in a future issue.
4. Playdoh Challenge
   Tell a story or give a challenge and have them create a playdoh sculpture for it. Photo and publish as above.
5. Contests
   Write about contests you find online, or make up your own contests and encourage entries. Prizes of courses.
6. Recipes
   Share new recipes – ask them to send a photo or drawing showing them trying out the recipe. Eventually, you and your grandcook could even produce a joint recipe book, filled with illustrations showing you cooking together during those special times when you are able to physically be with them. Printed and bound, imagine what a keepsake that could become. (And thanks to places like CafePress,  it’s easy to publish your own cookbook).

Technorati Tags: activities for grandchildren, sharing hobbies, time with grandkids

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One of my grandaughters, almost a teen, lives not too far away. Yet I don’t see her very often because she is involved with her friends, school, and a budding social life. For quite a while it seemed that there just wasn’t a way to keep in touch with her. She was always too busy for grandma.

But then I started using Facebook to keep in touch with my other kids and grandkids in various parts of the country. That way I keep up with what everyone is doing and get to see all their newest photos. And the above mentioned grandaughter also likes to post on Facebook.

So I started little one line conversations with her there. If she posted that she was worried about tomorrow, I would ask why. And when I found out that it was because of a test or something, I’d ask her about it the next time we talked on the phone.

Before long, the relationship began to warm up, all because I took the time to get to know my preteen on her terms. Do you use Facebook to keep in touch?

Technorati Tags: Facebook, keeping in touch, grandkids

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When my kids were growing up, my husband’s mother faithfully sent them a card and money every birthday until they were eighteen. With our six kids and the children of my hubby’s six siblings, those were a lot of  birthdays to remember.

When our kids received these gifts, they were always pleased, and would have been quite disappointed if the card didn’t come in the mail. Yet, we never thought to teach them to write a thank you card. Maybe we were too busy, probably we were too thoughtless, but we often didn’t even acknowledge its receipt until we happened to see Grandma next time.

As a mother, I just didn’t think about it, and if we got a call asking if the card had arrived, I figured it was because Grandma wanted to make sure the mailman had indeed delivered it.

But now, as a Gran myself, I realize there is another reason. When my grandkids call or write and are so thankful and excited about my gift, it makes me want to get them more and more. But if they don’t bother to even acknowledge it, then my desire to send something next time diminishes a little.

Looking back, my mother-in-law had much more love and patience than I do now that I’m in her position. And I sure wish I had taught my children the lost art of thank you.

Technorati Tags: thank you, grandkids, sending cards

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