GRAND Spring 2021 Vol. IV Ed. I

ily expert and author of Things to Do
Now That You’re a Grandparent.
Keep your grandchild’s needs at
the top of your mind. There’s no such
thing as too much love, after all, and
a close relationship with one set of
grandparents doesn’t detract from
your importance—unless you let it.
Be mellow about mess
Let’s face it, kids are messy. You
may have forgotten just how messy!
Your best bet is to plan ahead so you’re
not dismayed by a piece of toast landing
jam-side-down on your white
couch.
It’s fine to designate some areas
as off-limits and make others childfriendly.
Since you don’t want to have
to follow your grandchildren around
with a sponge, set up a kid eating area
where crumbs can fall as they may.
You can use a wipe-clean tablecloth
and even protect rugs with a floor mat.
You’ll want to keep young grandchildren
safe by blocking off dangerous
areas and moving valuables and
potential poisons out of reach.
Do things, don’t just give things
It’s tempting to buy the latest toy or
game and see your grandchild’s face
light up, and that’s fine. But experiences
you share are often far more
meaningful—and will create memories
that last a lifetime.
Document these experiences so they
stay in your grandchildren’s memories.
Even a day of babysitting is worth
commemorating.
Don’t be a burden
Be careful of the common pitfall of
overenthusiastic grandparents: Making
more work for the new parents
rather than less.
Amy Goyer of the American Association
of Retired Persons (AARP) says
she hears from many disappointed
grandparents who wonder why they
don’t receive more invitations to visit
their adult children and grandchildren,
seemingly unaware of how high
their expectations are and how much
effort and work they’re making for
others.
As your grandchildren get older,
think of ways to spend quality time
with them that are helpful to the parents,
not intrusive or requiring a lot
of organization and planning on their
part.
Avoid playing favorites
Fawning over the dimpled baby
while ignoring—or worse, snapping
at—the rambunctious 3-year-old sibling
is a classic grandparent faux pas.
It’s near impossible not to be struck
by the adorableness of whichever
grandchild happens to be in the cutest
stage. But every child will go through
difficult and angelic times, and your
job is to love them either way.
The best way to combat favouritism
is to make sure your visits include
one-on-one time with each grandchild.
Kids tend to be at their best
when removed from sibling competition,
and it’s much easier to get to
grandmag.ca
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