Grandparents ROCK...and Can Inspire our Kids to ROCK too!
When I first found out I was pregnant almost two years ago to the day, I not only realized that my life was going to be forever changed, but that the dynamic in my family was also going to shift. As one of four girls, my son was going to be the first grandchild on my side. And while I knew this was going to be significant, I had NO idea what that was actually going to mean.
My parents had never pressured us to have kids or whined continuously that they were not yet grandparents, so even though they were excited, I never thought they’d be the type to be constantly showing their friends (or the cashier at the grocery store!) the latest pictures from Facebook.
But I was wrong.
And to say this shocked my Mom most of all, is most definitely a true statement. She became “obsessed” with this little man in a way none of us expected.
This is probably not a surprise to anyone reading this that either IS a grandparent, or has watched their parents transition into the role of grandparents…there are even some pretty cool books out there about this, my favorite being “Becoming Grandma: The Joys and Science of the New Grandparenting”, by Lesley Stahl. And to quote a passage from this book, Lolly (that’s Stahl’s Grandma name) says,
“Becoming a gran exhilarated me with a new purpose.”
I guess it’s a chance to experience an intense love and connection with a new member of the family…with less of the responsibility. I mean, if they turn out to be brats, it won’t be the grandparents’ fault, right?
So, what does this have to do with For-Purpose Kids?
Well, shouldn’t part of that “new purpose” that Lesley Stahl referred to, be about teaching kids to be more kind and compassionate global citizens?
Why yes, OF COURSE it should!
And now that there is less responsibility (like meal planning and middle of the night “needs”) with the “not so fun” stuff, maybe they’ll want to spend time focusing on some of the “important” stuff like this.
So, if you’re a Grandparent looking for new and different things to do with your grandkids that DON’T involve smart phones and computers or middle of the night feeds- we have some great ideas for you to help your grandkids grow into nice human beings. And if you’re a parent who WANTS to do this kind of stuff with your kids but is overwhelmed with all of the OTHER things you have to manage on a daily basis…send this blog to your parents and see if they get the hint!
5 Things Grandparents Can Do with Their Grandkids to Inspire Kindness
- Volunteer Together. As our friends at Doing Good Together know “When grandparents and grandchildren volunteer together, their relationship grows closer.” (Creative Acts of Kindness for Grandparents and Their Grandchildren- click here to read entire post). You could visit a nursing home, animal shelter or plant trees together. (Our website and past blog posts have many ideas for kid-friendly volunteer opportunities).
- Work on a Giving Project Together. Identify a shared cause (helping people, caring for animals or protecting the environment, for example) and raise money for an organization that supports that cause. (Click here for information on how to identify responsible charitable organizations linked to specific causes).
- Read Books with them that talk about the benefits of giving, volunteering and kindness. For a list of books that focus on these topics, click here.
- Share Stories from your past with them- talk about situations where the kindness of others helped you, or could have helped you and those in your community. (To read more about the benefits of intergenerational activities and sharing stories across generations- click here for a great post from our friends at Baby Hero)
- Subscribe to our For-Purpose Kids Quarterly Boxes and receive a package of goodies that you can look forward to opening with your grandkids, every 3 months! Each box focuses on Giving and Volunteering to support different causes (People & Communities in Need, Caring for Animals, & Protecting Our Environment) so you and your grandkids will learn about new and exciting ways to get involved and become more kind and compassionate global citizens TOGETHER!
Hopefully we’ve convinced you to consider some new ways of teaching your grandkids to be kind and compassionate global citizens of the future…and that you’ve already started thinking about the projects you can do together to make the world MORE awesome. We’d love to hear about your projects and activities, so please take pictures and share them with us on our website and social media channels.
Happy Grandparenting!
For-Purpose Kids, Inspiring Kids to Be Kind Since 2016
