When I was a child it was not usual for grandparents to take care of children on vacation, because families did not have this need, because the presence of mothers in the workplace was still scarce (compared to today). Despite this, there were many opportunities to maintain contact with grandparents and grandmothers because either they spent the summer together, or the parents had interest and more time to facilitate this contact.
Now fathers and mothers have many difficulties to reconcile work and family life, starting with the fact that holiday periods are shorter, or split up ... That's why grandparents are a resource to enhanceI think that in many occasions, family ties and the amount of things they can teach children make them a better option than camps or summer schools, especially when children are still young and their needs are focused on playing and being with his family.
The relationship with the grandparents must be careful not to overload them, they also deserve to have free time, it's time to remember these tips. But today we are going to tell you something that you already know, and they are the things that children can learn with them.
The things children learn with grandparents
The elderly accumulate many years and therefore a lot of experience, the stories they tell are real, they don't need to read a book to the little ones (although they can do it). Anecdotes of his childhood and youth, can be enriching, and so are that children know how they lived in another era.
Grandparents have more time, and this can help them also have more patience with children: with their games, with their crush; It is important for children to interact with people who do not have 'the need' (I do not say that with parents it is always like this, but sometimes) to be correcting them.
The knowledge that grandmothers (and grandparents) have about nutrition They are one of the great advantages of children spending time with them. They know about healthy eating, they take their time to buy basic food in the market, they have plenty of hours to cook with care ...
If the grandparents live in another locality or environment, surely the children will have the opportunity to know places that until then they would not have dreamed of discovering: an ethnographic museum, the old town laundry, a cave near the municipality.
Always interacting with children is not the same as socializing: it is true that opportunities are needed for children to meet and learn to carry out activities with people of different ages, that is integration. In addition to learning skills that would otherwise be more complicated, That is why it is good that with the grandparents they go shopping, go for a walk, visit acquaintances, etc.
It is important to remember that ...
- If you have doubts it is better that you communicate them to grandparents, to avoid misunderstandings. For example, you may think that if they are with the grandparents, the children will go to bed later, or that the grandfather will scold the child if the snack does not end, or that the grandmother will not be able to supervise her grandchildren in the pool.
Talking clearly and communicating with them will make them listen to you and understand you, and you will be calmer.
In the same vein, you can set certain rules, even if they are to be met at your parents or in-laws' house, yes, without going over, because they they have enough experience to know what to do. For example, you may prefer not to eat too much candy, or not to watch TV after eating.
Provide them with information that may be useful to them and get them out of a possible hurry: explain to them how to put the car seat, give them the documentation of the children (health card, ID if they have), write down in an agenda all the contact numbers they might need at one point.
In a matter of feeding little should be told to the grandmother, except having it up to date with intolerances, allergies, the child's favorite foods. At the same time provide all the necessary medication for the time that your children will be with them, in case there are chronic diseases, and prepare a mini medicine kit for cures and relief of common (anti-thermal) symptoms, write them very clear guidelines, or better , ask the pediatrician to do it.
Extra advantages
The grandparents they feel important when we entrust them with the care of children, keep in mind that sometimes they feel alone and perceive (erroneously perhaps they are a hindrance).
The grandparents have a doctorate and more in childcare (they have taken care of you from the time you were born until you became independent).
The grandparents they have more free time, and therefore suffer less stress: The children will be grateful that someone will splash them to infinity on a rainy summer afternoon, and they will be delighted that they will be able to lick the ice cream until it is finished, without having to go out and buy something.
Grandparents are excellent public relations, and they can help your child make new friends.
It is clear that not always the relationship with grandparents can be squeezed to the fullest in the way we have told, sometimes families live far from their origins, or there may also be family problems that make it impossible to get closer, or that parents have a real distrust of grandparents (for different reasons). This does not mean that children should grow away from grandparents, because that would mean giving up part of their roots, and it is not suitable for their development.
If it can't be otherwise, alternatives will be sought for the care of children in summer, and grandparents and grandchildren will see each other when they travel, in addition to using the resources that technology makes available to us. As you know today we can hold video conferences even with a smartphone, and grandparents can download the instant messaging application that we use, so that we can exchange photographs.
Images | Mike, vastateparksstaff On Peques and More | Grandparents can offer serenity, experience, but above all unforgettable memories to children. Cultivate your children's relationship with their grandparents, so that when the first ones grow up they do not distance themselves.
