Spring is in The Air so:

Pack Your Bags Grandma and Grandpa and Visit Your Grandkids.

With These Tips, You’ll Be the Guest They’ll Want Back Again and Again!

1. Stay grandchild oriented—as much as possible, save the adult talk with their parents for evenings when the little ones are in bed.
2. Don’t expect immediate hugs and kisses from a toddler you haven’t seen in awhile. Give them time to warm up to you.
3. Get down on your grandchild’s level—literally and figuratively! You’ll establish a genuine close-up connection while discovering a whole world you may have forgotten about.
4. Ask your grandchildren to tell you about their routines and where things are in their house. It will help build rapport, and it makes the little ones feel important.
5. Use this valuable time to learn all you can about your grandchild’s world—visit the park together and get to know his playmates, talk with the babysitter and listen well to what your grandchild tells you. Go to your grand-teen’s basketball game. If you immerse yourself in his world, it will help you keep the connection close with more meaningful notes and calls when you are apart.
6. Go to bed early. Not only will you be more rested and able to keep up with the youngest set, but you’ll also leave the parents some valuable time alone.
7. Take a book, so you don’t rely on the busy parents for entertainment during naptime or quiet evenings.
8. Take the grandchildren out for a walk, ice cream or a trip to the museum. All three generations will appreciate the change of pace.
9. Take lots of photos. Grandparents and pictures go together like peanut butter and jelly. Document the visit in a scrapbook, and it’ll become a treasured heirloom.
10. Establish some traditions. At the end of your visit leave a warm and thoughtful thank you note in the capable hands of a favorite teddy. Let them know that the toothless smile from baby Randy, the exuberant hug from your feisty little Linda, the amazing city you made from blocks with growing David and the trip to the art museum with your grand-teen Elizabeth are memories that touched your heart.

Taken from

Grandloving: Making Memories with Your Grandchildren, 4^th Edition

By Sue Johnson and Julie Carlson

www.grandloving.com  • sue@grandloving.com  • 800 262-1546