Seniors Site

Long-Distance Grandparenting?

As much as we seniors would like to keep our kids nearby for the rest of our lives, doing so is quite impossible, not to mention inappropriate. As soon as they find a way, they fly away from home, some even as far away from home as possible. Our children’s dreams cannot be hindered by our wants and needs, in order to fulfill their own dreams, they needed to find their own way and hopefully, not forgetting their way back home.

However, expressing love and care for someone living far away from us is indeed difficult, especially if we were never given a chance to be with them in the first place. Considering these things, I would say that long-distance grandparenting is much more difficult than having a grownup child living miles away from you. The hardest must be connecting with your grandchild.

But, as grandparents, we should know that it is not impossible to connect with our grandkids, know us as a person and eventually make us part of their lives, if we only persist. Do take note though that, family counselors strongly suggest that grandparents should make the move while their grandkids are still young and no later than that since kids are more receptive and emotionally “open” to people than teens tend to be. Aside from that, a grandchild knowing you as a grandparent since childhood makes the bond much stronger and the communication lines more open.

Seniors who successfully maintained a good long distance grandkid-grandparent relationship recommend that you do the following:

•    Be there as much as possible. While it is quite impossible for you to be there for them physically, you should make the child feel comfortable enough to contact you when he or she feels like it or whenever needed.
•    Take advantage of what technology has to offer. There are many ways to make yourself available for your grandkids. Learning the ropes online will tremendously boost your chances of connecting to these younger ones. Try popular social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook especially if your grandkids are teens. You are most likely to find them there.
•    Staying in touch. You must remember that in a child’s world, everyday is a new adventure. Vanishing for a month or two means you missed a whole lot in your grandchild’s life and sadly, this would mean you have to start all over again.
•    Bonding time is still important. Even if you make it a point to call them every single day, nothing beats spending time with them physically. Invite them over during vacations or visit their place if you have time. Planning a trip with them can also make the two of you closer.