Connecting with long-distance grandkids

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Friday's Grand Connection Fun
by Mary May Larmoyeux

Some of our grandkids are getting ready to move out of state. Of course, we will miss them greatly!

Yes, long-distance grandparenting is easier in today's electronic world, but it's still hard when our legacy lives hundreds or thousands of miles away. There's just nothing like regular one-on-one visiting with those we love, is there?

Several years ago, a dear friend Rita shared some ways that she has enriched those so important out-of-town relationship with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She said:  "With seventeen grandchildren, we were busy all year remembering birthdays and holidays. Often, we’d send photos of them taken on our last visit or a drawing with a made up story."

I think Rita's idea is great! When she first shared that idea with me, I had just spent some time visiting some of our out-of-town grandkids. Because of Rita's idea, I mailed them a letter with some pictures of our time together and a note reminiscing my visit with them.

Here's another idea:  We could include a magnetic frame for the refrigerator when we mail the grands pictures of our last visit together. Or, we could draw a picture of something we did with our grandchildren when we visited. For the artistically challenged, like me, we could have fun with the drawing by asking our grandkids (over the phone) to answer questions about it until he/she correctly guesses what the picture represents.

What are some things that you do to help your out-of-town grandkids remember your special visits together? And if you have out-of-state grandkids, what are one or two ways that you connect with them?

Have a great weekend,
Mary
Mary May Larmoyeux
http://www.marymaywrites.com/
http://grandconnection.blogspot.com/


Photo and article © 2010, 2014 by Mary May Larmoyeux. All rights reserved.

More long-distance grandparenting ideas

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Tuesday's Grand Connection Thought

by Mary May Larmoyeux

Although long-distance grandparenting is easier in today's electronic world, it's still hard when our legacy lives hundreds or thousands of miles away. E-mails and web cameras are great, but there's nothing like one-on-one visiting with those we love.

My friend Rita has 17 grandchildren and is busy all year long remembering birthdays and holidays. "Often, we’d send photos of them taken on our last visit," she says, "or a drawing with a made up story."

Thanks, Rita! Those are some great ideas! Now, let's have a little fun with them:

Take pictures with the grandkids when you visit them or when they visit you. Then mail (or e-mail) the grands the pictures. For an extra touch, you or I could send the pictures with a letter reminiscing about our time with the grands. Or, we could put the pictures in a magnetic frame (that can be displayed on the refrigerator) before dropping them in the mail. We may also want to have a matching photo displayed on our fridge.

Draw a picture of something you did with a grandchild when he/she visited. For the artistically challenged, like me, we could have fun with the drawing by asking our grandchild (over the phone) to answer questions about it until he/she correctly guesses what the picture represents.

It might be fun to ask our grands to also write stories about their visit and compare their stories to to ours.

Record a made-up story for our grandchild—using his/her name and places that you visited together. For very young children, we could ring a bell at the end of each page.

Here's another idea:

Pizza's on Pops Once Pops and I ordered pizza for our son and his kids who lived what seemed like millions of miles from us. We paid for the pizzas with a credit card and had them delivered to their house. Our children and grandkids thought that was a really special treat.

What are some things that you do to connect with your long-distance grandkids?

Have a great weekend,
Mary
http://www.marymaywrites.com/
co-author of The Grand Connection: 365 Ways to Connect with Your Grandchild's Heart

© 2009 by Mary May Larmoyeux. All rights reserved.
Photo ©  Tasnadi Erika Dreamstime.com

Birthday Letters

Friday's Grand Connection Fun
by Mary May Larmoyeux

"If you could go to lunch with anyone, who would it be?" That question was asked at a Toastmasters meeting I attended this week, and most people said their grandparents. When asked "Why," the common response was "I never really knew them."

Did you know all of your grandparents? I only knew two. Thinking about this has reminded me of the importance of writing our grandkids letters.

A couple of years ago Pops and I started a new tradition with the grands—writing each of them a birthday letter. I read this idea somewhere—I think in the Littauers’ book Making the Blueplate Special. I thought it was a great, very doable idea.

It’s been fun for Pops and me to share in our letters memories of the actual “birth day.” We’ve also included memories during the year and a Bible verse that reminds us of the particular child or a Bible verse that we’ll be praying for that child.

Although some may want to handwrite birthday letters, I type ours on the computer. I include special pictures in the body of the letter, and print the letter in color.

Pops and I not only give each grandchild his/her birthday letter, but also keep a copy into a notebook that we’ll give the grandchild when he/she is 18 or 21. (How I wish I could open up a notebook and read 18 or 21 letters from my grandparents.)

What do you do to make special memories on your grandchildren’s birthdays? How did your grandparents remember your birthday?

He is able
Mary
Mary May Larmoyeux
www.marymaywrites.com

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