Are you trying to bond with the juniors? Here are some things you can discuss with your grandkids
For many kids, grandparents are like superheroes. They are kind, nice, and always there to support their grandkids in every little silly thing they want to do. It is only natural that children desire their parents’ and grandparents’ affection and attention from the minute they are born. They gain confidence and can establish their own identities as a result of this attention.
Because grandparents spend less time criticizing and punishing and more time focusing on strengthening relationships and spending time with their grandchildren, their position is even more unique.
Being a grandparent is probably the best thing that happens in our lives, and we should get the most out of it. Here are some of the best things to do and discuss with your grandkids.
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Make them feel like they’re always a priority
Before moving forward with all the things you can discuss with your grandkids, it’s super important to emphasize how important it is to make them feel like they’re a priority for you. If they’re not living with you and you see them from time to time, or mostly on weekends, try to be more present. Put the phone down and go out for a walk, talk to them, or ask them to help you run errands around the house.
Ask them how the week at school was. If they have homework, offer to help them. After you ask them something, make sure you’re also listening. There is nothing more annoying than being distracted by the TV or something else while the kid is trying to communicate with you. Do not let yourself become a grumpy grandparent!
Your connection with your grandkids will improve, and they will feel valued if you commit to giving them top attention.
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Ask them to show you something they’re good at
If you want to make your grandkids feel important and useful, ask them to share with you their best skills. Nowadays, the majority of children are at least fairly tech-savvy. Even if you already have a Facebook account, I am sure you don’t know every little detail about it, so this can be a good topic to discuss with your grandkids. Ask them to demonstrate Facebook’s and other social networks’ usage for you.
Find out which hobbies they like the most. Alternatively, you could share some knowledge with them. See if they’re interested in car repair, cooking, or gardening. These are just three things, but the list is so much bigger! Talk to each other about your experiences and knowledge, and make a pact for everything you learn from them. It is your turn to teach them something too.
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Ask them what their perfect day would look like
Start by giving them an example of what your ideal day looks like and encouraging them to let their imagination run free. Tell them there are no boundaries, and if they hesitate to answer, help them explore the endless possibilities and come up with various ideas.
Since this is an open question, it can lead to many others afterward, like what an ideal summer vacation looks like or where they want to move if they have the money for that.
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Ask them what are their biggest dreams for the future
Talking about their future plans is probably one of the best topics to discuss with your grandkids. And you won’t believe how much of a great impact it will have on them. First of all, it will show that you care and that you also want to be part of their future. Who knows? Maybe you can also help them achieve their dreams.
Even if their dreams appear to be less realistic, don’t ruin this for them. Remember that you were also a kid back in the day, and it wasn’t very pleasant to hear bad things from parents. Be curious about what they’re about to tell you. Encourage them to dream bigger because there will be a lot of time for worrying and mandatory duties in the future. We can learn this from them and try to dream from time to time too.
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Ask them how they feel about charity
To find out how they feel about giving and helping those in need, discuss charity and see if they’re eager to share things with others who are less fortunate. My granddaughter used to have a lot of toys, but she only played with a couple of them. Since there was huge clutter in her room and the attic, I tried to convince her to donate those she didn’t like anymore.
She was very open to the idea, and it was an opportunity for me to teach her the importance of doing something nice for those kids who weren’t as lucky as she was.
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Ask them who is their favorite character from a book or movie
In a world where social media takes up most of our time, it is still important to tell our kids and grandkids that books can be friends too. That’s why one of the topics that you can discuss with your grandkids is about a book they’ve recently read, and they’re eager to share details about it with you.
Ask them who their favorite character is from the book and why. Pay attention to what they tell you because this is another way of discovering their interests, aspirations, and values. You can also suggest books that you can read together before bedtime. I am sure it will make them more curious and look forward to the activity.
If they don’t live with you and the distance doesn’t allow you to do that often, create a two-person book club with them and plan for a Skype meeting in which you will be discussing the books as you read them. Prepare all the questions that you have, and ask them to do the same.
…psst! Are you looking for a fun game to play with your grandkids? If they are 6 years old or older, Jenga is probably the best choice. This game is fun, and engaging and keeps everyone focused. The objective is to remove a block from the stack without causing the whole tower to fall. But don’t rely on that because the future is unpredictable…
The game is available on Amazon for just $15.97.
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Never forget to remind them that you love them and why
While communicating with the juniors is super important, expressing your feelings towards them is also vital. Of course, they already know you love them, but you definitely have to say it more often.
Tell them why you love them, not simply that you do. Express your feelings clearly by saying something like, “I love you because you’re so much fun to be around or because you care about other people.” Affirmations are effective tools for giving grandchildren the self-assurance they require to confront the outside world.
Likewise, providing your grandkids with the physical affection and connection they desire can be achieved by cuddling, hugging each other, and kissing. Also, from time to time don’t forget to remind them that you’re very proud of them.
If you are willing to express your emotions and engage in discussions with them, they will probably follow your example.
That’s it! These are just a couple of topic suggestions that you can discuss with your grandkids, but you can always come up with new ideas. Depending on their age, you can switch from one topic to another and get to know each other better. Also, show yourself interested in their hobbies; maybe you can learn something from them too!
You may also like 10 Ways to Be a Better Grandparent.
