Go ahead – dip your toe in.
Set the calendar
It is important to establish a routine. Designate one day a week. Or one day every other week. Or one Saturday a month. Or one morning a month. The key is intentionality. It’s not about the number of hours, it’s about the heart.
Make a plan
Once the calendar is set – make it happen! Go to the zoo. Get ice cream. Play a game. Make snowmen. The options are endless. I enjoy these “dates” and they definitely provide opportunities to develop relationship.
But I also like to have intentional times of prepared connection.
If you’re a planner, this will be fun. If you’re not, then I’ve done the planning for you. Impactful Grandparenting Action Plans can be adjusted to fit the time allotted, your activity level and your grandchildren’s interests and talents. Whether you have one grandchild or more, you can easily modify them according to your situation. Every plan begins with an introduction of the theme, Bible story and discussion time designed to cement Christian principles. The majority of the time is spent playing and learning together in various ways. In other words, memory-making!
For preschool ages, you can dial back Action Plans to their level. Or, create your own plans. Keep it simple. Include a Bible story and other books, games or crafts. Allow for some free play and get them moving. They (and you!) need a healthy outlet for all that energy. Never underestimate the value of getting outside. Fresh air lifts everyone’s spirits (even if it takes 20 minutes to put on coats, hats, boots and mittens).
Check out Make Your Impact for more details on planning your day.
Take photos
Lots of photos. These are priceless and ensure memories are preserved. Put a scrapbook together for the kids. I like to make photo books using Shutterfly, but keeping a traditional scrapbook together is fun, too.
Long-distance grandparenting
If you don’t live close to your grands, coordinate with all the cousins for a Cousin Camp they will look forward to each year. Or, have each child come separately for some one-on-one time. Maybe you get the family together at a cabin by the lake and plan special activities with the kids. There’s no cookie-cutter solution.
Other options for long-distance grands include regularly connecting via FaceTime, phone calls or sending text messages. Kids love mail, too. Sending a surprise package is always a winner.
My grandson plays hockey and many of his games are live-streamed so we can watch them. If not, his mom is good about texting us videos and score updates. At the end of the game, I text him with a message related to the game. I want him to know I’m his fan.
My granddaughter takes horseback riding lessons and participates in rodeo events. Her mom sends me videos and I text her later to let her know I watched her ride. I’d rather be with them in person, but at least it keeps us in contact.