It’s that time of year! Resolutions are flying and already being broken and we’re only 5 days into the New Year. Let’s drop the resolutions and make some new grandparenting habits instead. Let’s get really wild and make some Grandparenting Habits! Here are three possibilities to get you started:
Grandparenting Habits for the New Year
Bring laughter. Make a point of finding a funny picture, silly song, or age-appropriate joke to bring along every time you visit with your grandchildren. Young children love to laugh and if you maintain your relationship with them, you can even get moody teenagers to cut loose with a giggle. It’s good for our souls to laugh and have joy. Make a habit of laughing with your grandchildren.
Use terms of endearment, no matter how corny. Kids and nicknames go together like popcorn and melted butter. One of our grandchildren insisted on being called by a term of endearment once he heard it. In his mind, it made his name more special and he liked hearing it that way. Nothing wrong there. The world is short on love right now so any way we can bring wholesome love into the lives of young ones is good. Be sure to keep nicknames and terms of endearment loving, not demeaning! Do be sensitive to where and how you use special names. Don’t embarrass teens at a time when they are discovering who they are as young adults.
Call, text, video chat, IM, or find the latest cool way to connect. Don’t get weird, just let your grandchildren know you are aware of technology and available to be a trusted friend. Ask them to teach you a new way to connect. They may love being the expert and showing you their latest app. Years ago, I resisted texting with my children for a long time then discovered how nice it was to make a quick connection. It’s now a steady way of keeping in touch with my adult children. Sharing pics of the grandchildren is exponentially better via texting, too! Sometimes as we get older, we resist change. Don’t. Where it’s moral, reasonable, and doable, join in and stay relevant to your grandchildren.
Why Habits Instead of Resolutions
I like looking for new habits to form every year rather than creating a list of resolutions. I have made good changes in my life as a result of considering just one or two actions to take at the beginning of a year and focus on making them habits. Think about a habit you’d love to create in your relationship with your grandchildren. Make it fun, loving, and easy. Consistency makes relationships stable and long-lasting. Exactly what we want with our grandchildren.
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