As much as you love your grandchildren, it can be a challenge to bridge the generational gap and build a meaningful relationship, particularly as they become preteens and teenagers. This can be especially difficult if you don’t live near your grandchildren. Luckily, you can take numerous steps to improve your relationship with your grandkids—even on a long-distance basis.
Here are some tips for making the most of those relationships during retirement.
5 Ways to Bond With Your Grandchildren
- Meet them on their turf.Teenagers are actually pretty great at communication—they just may not be as willing to do it out loud. Instead, try sending emails, text messages or even joining social media to stay in touch. When in doubt, don’t be afraid to ask your grandchildren how they would prefer to be contacted—you may be surprised by how open they are to sharing their life with you online.
- Tell them stories.
One of the biggest myths of aging is that kids get bored with older adults’ stories. In reality, your grandchildren would actually enjoy hearing stories from when you were younger. Tell them about big historical events you remember or what your life was like when you were their age and antics you got into as a youngster. Even better? Tell them funny stories about their parents when they were younger—they’ll definitely get a kick out of that. - Make it a point to have one-on-one time.
When you have a big family, spending time with your grandchildren often amounts to spending time in a big group — not so great for relationship building. Instead, schedule one-on-one time with each of your grandchildren. The personal attention will make them feel special and you’ll get to know them better without added distractions. - Find a shared hobby.
Whether it’s something as simple as sharing a book or television series, learning a new craft together or passing on priceless family recipes, finding an activity you enjoy doing together is a great way to spend quality time. Once you find your “thing,” you’ll always have something special to do together. - Embrace technology
This tip is particularly important for long-distance grandparents. By embracing all of the wonderful communication capabilities of technology, you can bond with your grandchildren without even being in the same state.With just a little internet access and a smartphone, you can set up a standing video chat date and see their face as often as you like. Plus, as a bonus, video chatting is a great way to get their undivided attention for a short period of time.
Chances are, your grandchildren want to have a relationship with you as much as you do. By putting forth a little extra effort and planning for some intentional time together, you can form the kind of bond you’ve always wanted.
Looking for more tips on enriching your life as you age? Check out our free guide, Aging in Place: A Popular Trend for a New Generation of Seniors.
