Being a Great Grandparent
Next to the love of their parents, the grandparent-grandchild bond is the most emotionally powerful relationship children have, experts say in a recent Mayo Clinic Health Letter.
Three-quarters of all Americans over 65 are grandparents, and it’s projected that half of today’s grandparents will someday be great-grandparents.
There is little to guide grandparents on how to create positive relationships with their grandchildren, experts note. Even so, most do a great job. Some guidelines for being a good grandparent include:
* Send frequent letters to your grandchildren.
* Don’t give advice about child-rearing unless your children ask.
* Support the parents, especially when they are caring for newborns.
* Give small children your undivided attention.
* Provide a link with the past; show your grandchild pictures of you as a child.
* Create memories and traditions.
* Don’t let the “I don’t want to interfere” excuse keep you from being an involved grandparent.
* Offer the gift of time; unhurried explanations or including a child in daily activities mean a lot.
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