My husband and I recently returned from a trip to Arizona. We brought Ruby with us so she could play with our grandkids and their dog, Charlie, her BFF. Sometimes I think my grandchildren are more excited to see her than us. My oldest son has five children, ages three to fourteen—three girls and two boys. We volunteered to watch the kiddos during their Fall Break while my son took my daughter-in-law on a birthday trip. Some friends questioned our sanity and foolhardiness. However, we wanted to take advantage of both the mild weather and availability of our grandchildren. Those two factors don’t coincide too often.
Since the girls are older now and can help with their younger brothers, it was much easier than in the past. The trickiest part was coming up with activities that would appeal to such a wide age span. Sometimes we followed the “divide and conquer” motto, splitting up the kids and engaging in separate activities. The older kids did ziplining, rock climbing, and an escape room. The littles went to a bounce house gym, regional park, and splash pad. Other times we all participated in the same activity. We poured a bin of Lego blocks on a sheet and challenged our crew to build their own creation. The younger kids played with the figurines while their older siblings created complicated structures. We ordered take-out food, bought treats, and made goodies.
The drive was long, but the week flew by in a flash. Some of my favorite memories weren’t the big activities, but the tiny moments like cuddling in the large saucer swing with my youngest grandson in the early morning and watching the clouds morph into shapes as they drifted in the sky. It was a rare chance to spend time and bond with our grandchildren, and we are glad that we seized the day and capitalized on the opportunity. Carpe diem! But now I need a nap…
Does anyone have any tricks of the trade for forging relationships with grandchildren?
