Yesterday, I had Aaron Larsen from GrandparentsAcademy.com come and chat with my members about how lifelong learning can deepen relationships with grandchildren.
It was a great presentation and as usual, this incredibly engaged group of grandparents asked Aaron fantastic questions.
I have a confession.
I do this weird thing when I am not the presenter.
When the presenter is asked a question, I write out what I would answer if it was me being asked.
And twice during the question-and-answer period yesterday, I wrote down…meet them where they are at – and guess what Aaron’s answer was each time?
Meet them where they are at!
Great minds think alike?
Although I love that saying, I think it’s more because Aaron and I are both parents, not grandparents.
Thus, we see similar things when it comes to some of the challenges grandparents express.
We are both immersed in kid life and parent life right now – and at the same time, we care deeply about connecting our children with their grandparents.
And helping others do the same.
But what does meet them where they are at really mean?
It means stepping back and considering (and researching) where your grandchildren are at developmentally, socially, and otherwise.
- If your 3-year-old grandchild likes to color, send them a picture you colored and be sure to color a bit outside the lines, like they do. If they don’t want to sit still on a video chat, keep it short and active.
- If your 16-year-old grandchild is really into their friends, send them a text noticing something about them that makes them a great friend to others.
- If your grandchild isn’t into video chatting right now, send a short video message with a joke for them to learn and tell their friends.
It also means considering where the parents are at right now.
And asking yourself if you are expecting too much of this family…right now.
If the parents are busy and overwhelmed, ask them:
- Is there anything I can do to make it easier to stay in touch?
- Is there anything I’m doing that is making it harder to stay in touch?
Maybe you are calling during bedtime prep and they don’t have the heart to tell you it isn’t a good time.
Perhaps they are in the midst of a transition or dealing with something in their marriage or with one of the kids that they aren’t ready to talk about right now.
These are just some of the ways to begin to meet grandchildren and parents where they are at – and it’s especially important for long distance grandparents.
In my Masterclass Series – the first ever specifically about long distance grandparenting – I provide tons of ideas for how to do this – how to meet a 5-year-old where they are at or how to meet your 16-year – old grandson where he is at.
It takes extra time and effort and a lot of hit and misses, but you can strengthen your bond from a distance. And one of the ways to do this is to make sure you are meeting your grandchildren and their parents where they are at right now.
There is a 40% discount on my Masterclass Series which is good until April 30th (use the coupon code LDG40 at check-out).
Click here to find out more:
Long Distance Grandparenting Masterclass Series
We start May 1st and have a great group signed up so far (I can’t wait to meet all of you!).
Come and join us and spend May immersing yourself in your grandparenting alongside other long distance grandparents who truly get it!
I promise you will leave inspired and filled with ideas to connect and strengthen your relationships with your grandchildren. I’ve even gone the extra mile and created printables especially for this Masterclass series (based on research, of course!), that you can use time and time again to strengthen relationships with your grandchildren!
