Do you remember your grandparents? While some of us are fortunate and do remember these important people in our growing-up years, others have missed that opportunity. I spent many hours with my grandmothers, but not as much time with my grandfathers as they passed when I was young. I even got to know one set of great-grandparents. Perhaps that’s part of the delight I take in grandparenting now. My memories of my grandparents are so sweet as to be fundamental to my personality. Memories of my great-grandparents are almost fairytale in nature because it was so fascinating to me to know people from that far back in history!
No matter which experience you have had, let’s think through the value of the grandparenting role and relationship. Then, let’s consider how we maximize the love and influence we share.
How do you remember your grandparents?
If you have memories of your grandparents, what stands out? List good memories along with any bad you might have. From those memories, how can you be intentional about your own grandparenting activities and roles? What would you imitate and what would you change from how your grandparents did things? Why did your grandparents influence your life either positively or negatively? What was unique and wonderful about their style of grandparenting? What has changed culturally that deserves recognition and change in your own grandparenting style to best serve the needs of your Grands?
Our life expectancy is longer than generations past. For the current man age 50, his life expectancy is 29.88 years. For the current age 50 woman, her life expectancy is 33.50 years. These are significant amounts of time to enjoy and affect the lives of your Grands! Carried out into the future, you will likely see your Grands into their adulthood and maybe even into their early 30s. There’s a lot of growth of personality and character in the first 30 years of our lives. Grandparents can be a huge part of that growth IF we choose to participate. You can find your life expectancy, based on the Social Security Administration’s research, here.
In 2022, we are living longer and staying healthier than generations past and are therefore more likely to have lots of time to interact with and influence our grandchildren. Use the gift of time to bless the next generation or two. Think through things like:
Using the Gift of Time Well
How much time will you spend with them?
What values are most important to teach them?
Are there heritage skills can you teach them?
How do you help their parents prepare children for the post-modern world?
How can you help children learn relational skills for interacting with family, friends, and coworkers in the future?
These are just a few of the areas we can help mold and build a generation for the future. Do you have grandparenting priorities of your own? We would love to hear about them in the comments!
By the way, have you checked out our Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube channel? We produce content every week to help grandparents be their best!
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