GROOTOUDERS, DE PIJLERS VAN DE FAMILIE
GROOTOUDERS, DE PIJLERS VAN DE FAMILIE
At a time when the number of mixed or single-parent families is constantly increasing, the role of grandparents is significant. They embody stability. They are often the ones who cherish the family memories (family photos, family home, etc.). They are the guardians of the family foundations and they are the ones who pass on fundamental values such as family, loyalty, respect, tradition, etc.
Grandparents can play the role of complementary educators. They are further away from our hectic pace of life and have the time and patience to take care of their grandchildren’s education. Their role is not to replace or contradict the parents but to support and accompany them.
The role of transmitting knowledge to the child is played by the grandparent. They are often the ones who teach particular skills to the youngest: fishing, cooking, knitting, gardening, etc. This type of activity allows for exchanges and discussions, the child is free to express himself and he develops his open-mindedness.
Finally, grandparents do not only give, they also receive a lot from their grandchildren: happiness, a feeling of usefulness, but also concrete learning. Grandparents who are in close relation with their grandchildren remain in contact with a generation and an era that are no longer their own. The role of the grandchildren is also to guide the grandparents in this new connected world.
Don’t forget to thank them!
If you have the opportunity to visit them, this is what will make them the happiest. Once there, organise an activity to strengthen your ties; go to an exhibition, go to the theatre, play a board game, cook a grandmother’s recipe, etc. Moreover, age does not reduce some people’s passion for gossip. Grandmothers love to know everything about every member of the family. Let them ask you hundreds of questions, talk about everything and anything… without moderation!
To make your visits to your grandparents even more lively, send them a Tribu album (www.mytribunews.com) every month! It allows you to put pictures to your stories, to remember them the next day and of course to be able to tell the stories of each (grand) child to all the other family members.
If you can’t visit them, at least think about making a phone call from time to time. Or at best, send them a letter or a postcard. Old-fashioned, you might say? Good for you! Grandparents aren’t exactly known for being « fashionable ». And that’s why we love them so much.
