Grandparenting Across Miles

Living across the country from our kids is never easy. But grandparenting across miles is even tougher. They grow so fast and I want to be part of their lives. Since the shut down, I tried to think of ways to stay in touch. Thankfully, video calls are the next best thing to being there…

 

My youngest grandson’s little face lit up my computer screen.

“Hi, Lao Lao! I miss you.”

“Hi there. I miss you too. What are you doing today?” I asked.

“We ate yunch.”

Little did I know that this was ‘second lunch’ for my little hobbits. How I miss these little guys.

The current shut-down has complicated gathering together for so many. Our situation is compounded by our three grandsons living in Colorado and we are in Connecticut. We rely on technology for our visits, but our trip west being canceled in April still stings.

#Grandparenting across miles is tough. They grow fast and I want to be part of their lives. Since the #ShutDown, I have tried to think of ways to stay in touch. Click To Tweet

I have tried to connect in different ways so that I can be a part of their lives from afar. I’ve sent care packages of books, and then coloring books and markers. I sent notes in the mail. I text pictures to my daughters to show my grandsons. Tractors. Buses. Things that would interest them. And we meet using Skype or Google Hangouts so we can see one another and chat.

That is all well and good, except that I really just want to get on a plane and go see them in person. It has been almost a year since I have been able to do that. It’s time!

Ways to Reach Out to Grandchildren

This week I read an article about writing keepsake letters to a grandchild. So I got out some note cards and printed a note to each one. I signed them with a heart which I colored in red. I decorated the envelopes to match their current interests, and they are sitting in my mailbox ready for pick-up.

My youngest grandson is four going on twenty-four. His love is numbers along with music and letters. He gets a charge out of doing his work with his little glasses perched on his nose while wielding markers, workbooks and paper. Lots of paper. He is into fractions at the moment.

My middle grandson is six and his love is airplanes. He imagines himself a pilot while devouring books on the subject and playing with the airplane play set and airport mat I sent for Christmas.

My oldest grandson is also six and he is obsessed with everything in space. Planets, astronauts, space ships, and rockets. He is sure that he will work for a space station someday. He loves his books with glossy pictures of the galaxies.

So, I love encouraging their interests in whatever way I can. That’s the fun part of grandparenting.

A recent interest is their desire to help in the kitchen. So, I sent kid-safe kitchen knives so they can cut vegetables and fruit, helping their moms to make snacks and meals.

Further to this, on our last Hangout call, it was time for us to put dinner in the oven. So I set up my laptop in the kitchen. My hubby, John was making dinner for me (for Mother’s Day) so we called it:

The Lao Yei Cooking Show

*Lao Yei is Mandarin for grandfather (or old man). I bet you can guess what Lao Lao means 🙂

John took on the role of Emeril, explaining the process of poking the baking potatoes, and sweet potato, putting them in the oven a little before the chicken so everything would be done at the same time. Putting garlic and spices on the chicken breasts to bake at 350 degrees.

The boys loved it!

They each said, “I want to come to your house and cook too.”

Me too, sweet boys!!

Better than Emeril or Gordon Ramsay, I’m sure. Though, thankfully not as stressful as Chopped.

I wish I could be there when my grandson’s letters arrive. I would love to see their faces when they see their own letter from Lao Lao.

Here are a few long distance grandparenting resources I discovered this week…hope they are helpful.

 

Here are a few #LongDistanceGrandparenting resources I discovered this week...hope they are helpful. #LoveMyGrandchildren Click To Tweet

 

I discovered this article, shared by a friend in the UK: Five Ways for Grandparents to Remotely Connect with their Grandchildren

And Crosswalk.com shared this timely article, Creative Ways to Connect with Grandchildren During Covid-19

Awesome Activities for 5-8 year olds

Developmentally Appropriate Activities for All Ages

Long distance grandparenting isn’t easy. So, I would love your creative ideas—what do you do to stay in touch? How old are your grandchildren? What do they love to do? You can share these in the comments below.

I have also included some Amazon resources including unique postcards, stickers, and ways for keeping in touch with those little ones you love so much.

Jeanne

 

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