As September is National Grandparents Month. Patricia Babuka, expert on the grandparent/grandchild relationship and CEO and Co-Founder of GrandCamp Adventures —products, activities and games specifically designed to nurture grandparents’ relationships with their grand-kids offers insight on the celebration and how to better nurture the grandchild/grandparent relationship:
There are 65 million grandparents in America, and they are younger than ever before—43% became grandparents in their fifties, and 37% in their forties. With more and younger grandparents than ever before, grandparents’ and grandkids’ relationships are slowly changing, many evolving into close-knit, independent relationships.
Why are grandparents such an important role in a child’s life?
Grandparents are often a grandchild’s strongest connection to family heritage. Grandparents are free from the day-to-day parenting, so they are able to provide a special time of uninterrupted play. Grandchildren especially enjoy hearing about the “good ‘ol days” and what their parents were like when they were little. By telling fun family stories and singing silly songs, grandparents are treasure troves of happy memories, actively passing down their family heritage to this curious generation.
What are some key tools readers can use to help nurture an intergenerational relationship?
At GrandCamp Adventures, we believe strongly that it is the simple things, spending playtime with grandchildren rather than entertaining them, which nurture this special relationship. From our research and focus groups, our GrandCampers tell us the key is discovering things both ages enjoy doing. They want experiences vs. ‘things’. These experiences should be meaningful, alive with happy memories, continuous and frequent, full of joy, fun and laughter.
How faraway grandparents can bond with their grandchildren
No. 1: Make time for the relationship and make that time sacred.
No 2: Fun, Familiarity and Frequency. At GrandCamp Adventures, we call it the 3 “Fs” of Family:
Fun: Enjoying one another is an essential ingredient
Familiarity: Sharing deepens the relationship. Share about yourself, about parents and about the child.
Frequency: Carving out time often makes family interactions more rewarding and enjoyable for everyone.
No 3: Plan ahead. Take a few minutes ahead of time to plan the interaction.
Patricia Babuka, Family Expert & Founder/CEO of Grand Camp Adventures
Coming from a childhood filled with family, love and laughter, Patricia wanted her children to experience the same fortune and admiration for their grandparents as a child as she did. The original “grandcampers” were inspired by Patricia’s in-laws, Margie and Reuben, and continued to be their motivation for 10 years while creating Grand Camp Adventures. This group of educational and entertaining storybooks, music, games and activities were created especially for grandparents and grandkids in hope to bring them closer and to create lasting and unforgettable memories. www.GrandCamp.com