Getting Good at Grandparenting

Grandparents can be a valuable influence on their grandchildren - and receive some of the most wonderful blessings!

My grandson gave me a refrigerator magnet that says, “If I had known how much fun grandchildren would be, I’d have had them first!” Ha, ha! Not possible, but a great idea indeed.

There’s nothing quite like the joy of having two grandchildren squabbling over who gets to sit next to you. The grandchild/grandparent relationship is indeed a blessing from God. I’ve been thinking about it a lot recently.

From the first day I realized that God was really real and that His Son, Jesus Christ, lived and died for my benefit, I wanted to be useful to His Kingdom. Since I was already a wife and a mother, I decided I would do my best to serve Him by working at becoming the best wife and the best mother I could be. I guess you will have to ask my husband and kids to rate me on that. Now that I am a grandmother, I have decided to work hard at being good at this grandparent thing.

Of course, it’s mostly not that hard! Each of these little, and big ones are unique and special. They all have individual qualities that will make them world changers, indeed.

I love the idea of being able to be a support to our children as they are establishing and raising their families. Here are a few of my thoughts on how I think we can be great grandparents:

• We can connect our grandchildren to family roots and history. Kids love to hear the stories of life as it was when we were growing up. They also want to hear about their parents as children and what they were like. Those stories help them to understand the continuity of life and can help them to have a stronger sense of belonging and identity.

• We can provide companionship. Who can resist those big brown, hopeful eyes as your grandchild looks up at you and asks, “Grams, will you play with me?” I love playing games (please don’t let it be the fishing game!) so spending time playing with them is a delight. Shopping trips, sleepovers, hair-cut dates, long walks around the block, for instance, not only give Mom and Dad a break, but create an opportunity to have great conversations about life together.

• We can provide acceptance and affirmation. Besides what their parents are already doing, we can be an additional positive force in encouraging our grandchildren to be all that God created them to be. We can praise their efforts in learning a new skill. We can ask them to show us their latest artwork. We can listen with interest to the poem they just wrote. We can watch them climb a tree or throw a rock. We can compliment them for the kind way they are treating one another. I love to cook each one’s special dish or buy their favorite candy. Even those small gestures reinforce to them the fact that they are important and valuable.

• We can (and must always) show respect and support for their parents. It is important for our grandchildren to see that we respect and honor their parents. When they are with you, check with their parents about television programs, video games and other activities, as well as snacks and food choices. If you want to allow them to do something (eat popcorn in the living room) that they are not allowed to do at home, make sure you have discussed it with their parents. Your grandchildren must know that you will always respect their parents’ decisions and support them.

• We can leave a spiritual legacy. Our grandchildren are watching us. What they learn about faith and trust in God from our relationship with Him will have a lasting effect on their lives. One of my favorite things to do is sing worship songs to my grandchildren when I put them to bed while they are with me for a sleepover. As I sing, I pray that God’s love will infiltrate their hearts and they will be inspired to seek Him all their lives. I love to remind them about His faithfulness in my life an in theirs. Psalm 145:4 says, “One generation will praise Your works to another, And will declare Your mighty acts.” What a gift to leave these precious little lives!
  

When I received a text that my daughter and her children had been in a car crash, I quickly drove to their home. When they returned home with their dad my grandson saw my car and said, “Look, Grams is here to comfort us!” I hope that means that I am on the right track.

Yes, dear ones, I am here to comfort you, to hug you, to let you know that I care and to reassure you that everything will be okay