Grandparent-to-Grandchild Communication
By Fay A. Klingler
Today communication is potentially easier than ever before. Yet, because of individual taste and perspective, some means of communication works better with one grandchild than another. This month’s grandparenting column highlights various communication ideas. Consider trying something new to connect and bond with your grandchild.
Speaking with your grandchild on the telephone is a communication means that comes to mind easily. But have you thought of sending the grandchild a book and keeping a copy of the same book at your own house so you can read a section to each other over the phone?
Many children have cell phones. A brief text message provides a reminder you are thinking of him or her.
Even if a grandchild lives in your town, consider writing and mailing a letter through snail mail. Picture postcards are easy and inexpensive and a delight when received. I’ve also made up and mailed posters to congratulate my grandchildren on things like losing the first tooth, successfully using the toilet, or achieving some other milestone.
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Consider reversing the print in a portion of your letter. Tell your grandchild to put the letter up to a mirror to read the message.
Art is another great means of communication. Try sketching a figure, including some distinguishing feature. Mail the sketch to the grandchild with a caption something like this:
Make up a secret code and send it with a coded letter.
Develop secret hand signals, sign language, or use verbal or written words from a foreign language to communicate with your grandchild.
Whenever one of my grandchildren writes to me, I write back and include stickers, paper airplanes, paper dolls, a special puzzle, or some other item of interest to the child. And speaking of puzzles, it is easy to take a piece of colored card stock, write on it a note to the grandchild, cut the card stock into large pieces, and mail them to the grandchild in an envelope. That way he or she feels joy from receiving mail, has fun putting the puzzle together, and receives a written message from you as a result of one effort.
One grandmother suggested this idea:
I write letters to my grandchildren when they are very young. I bind the letters in a book, along with their favorite stories or poems and pictures of the things we do or see together. When the children visit, I get the book out and read to them. When they are old enough to read by themselves, I wrap the book in gift paper and present it to them to keep (The LDS Grandparents’ Idea Book, Fay A. Klingler, Spring Creek Book Company, p. 27).
Of course e-mail offers many options
— letter writing, attaching pictures, and sending links to great
website activity ideas and directions, like http://www.origami-usa.org/fold_this.html
on the “Origami
One woman made this suggestion:
We provide a monthly family newsletter. Although it is my husband and I who physically print and distribute the letter, each month it is updated by a different one of our children. We just rotate the assignment. In this way each of our children’s families has a turn to be highlighted (ibid, pp. 49–50).
Kathie Terry accomplishes something similar with her "Nana's News." That is what she calls the newsletter she sends to all of her children and grandchildren. “‘Nana’s News’ tells about upcoming things for a two-month period,” said Kathie. “The overlap is just in case there are changes. The newsletter also reminds everyone of the upcoming family home evening we hold one Sunday a month in one of our children’s homes.”
Robert Hale offered the following suggestions. “When our grandchildren arrive, we usually sit with them with great classic books instead of TV movies. We often organize a work activity for their skill level, so there's lots of happy talk time while working. Recently I had three of our grandkids and their four friends on the floor assembling ceiling fans. I showed them one fan blade with screws and they assembled the rest. Then I just tightened screws for the younger ones. I integrated math by asking how many blades (six)? How many fans (three)? How many blades altogether?”
Robert said he also uses music to communicate with his grandchildren. “It helps to focus little peoples’ attention without yelling,” explained Robert.
Paul Gibson feels deeply about communicating with his grandchildren. “I try to connect with them through an open heart while I am with them, even though they are infants, by looking them in the eye and opening my soul and heart so they can find me spiritually, and feel warmth and love from me. Words may not always be spoken audibly, but at least in my mind... trying to reassure, educate, and affirm.”
One of the most powerful means of communication with your grandchildren is your faithful example. As you attend church and the temple, serve missions, and live lives steadfast to gospel principles, you may not only influence current but future generations.
Recently I found a letter written by my grandmother to our family when I was a young mother. In simple terms and in her 95-year-old penmanship, she expressed her love to me and each of my six children. Now, these many years later, the impact of her written words are felt more strongly than when she was alive because of her sweet example of enduring faithfully to the end. To multiply the impact, this week I e-mailed a scanned copy of the old letter to each of my children so they could show and read it to their children — a simple communication influencing at least three generations.
What means of communication will you use to connect and bond with your children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and possibly great-great-grandchildren?