“The only good thing about getting older is you get to be popular. If I have to buy those kids’ love, I will.” – TV grandmother Marsha Mason explains why she buys expensive gifts for her grandchildren.
It’s a common refrain. Seniors want to bond with the grand kids.
It can be challenging. Video games and digital technology add to the frustration. Therapist Christine Krishnan suggests grandparents flip the script.
“Children and teens spend a significant amount of time on smartphones, social media, video games, YouTube and streaming. On-line communication is the area we live in so parents and grandparents feel left out of their grand kids interest.” She recommends grandparents avoid competing with technology and instead use it as a bridge to create a connection.
“One way is to actually meet them where they are. It’s as simple as that. Grandparents can ask questions. Can you show me how this game works? What’s your favorite part of this game? How about you teach me to play Mario Brothers, for example? That actually changes interaction from grandma doesn’t understand my game to grandma is interested in learning about my game.”
Use Facetime or Zoom to schedule a virtual cooking day together or create a joint craft activity or read a book with them. “It really creates a lot of conversations and spending time together even when you’re far away. Create a tradition using technology.”
Ask grandchildren to explain how to use Facetime. “We live in a different world right now. Everything is surrounded by technology. Ask questions, let them teach you something and listen without judgment, creating small rituals that belong just to the two of you. Create new traditions!”
Bowling Green State University’s National Center for Family and Marriage Research points to more than 63 million grandparents in the U.S. That’s a lot of potential to merge your world with theirs as they grow up.
“Didn’t you love it when they were all squishy and helpless and we could love on them whenever we wanted?” – Frankie Heck, The Middle
