Here is the recipe for having a great relationship with your grandchildren.
Being a grandparent is an immense joy, but it is sometimes also a real challenge. Between the desire to transmit values and memories, and the need to respect the educational choices of parents, finding the right balance is not always easy. So how do you go about fulfilling your role as a grandparent in the best way? The authors of the book “A thousand and one ideas for being a great grandparent” (First editions), Sophie Gaillet and Isabelle Castelain, have listed the 10 commandments of almost perfect grandparents all year round. Of course, the goal is not to be exemplary at all levels, because as you probably know, being perfect generally brings more pressure than satisfaction for the person concerned.
The idea behind these commandments is to simply provide a road map for grandparents who don’t always know how to behave with their grandchildren. The first recommendation is to be attentive and attentive to your grandchildren as often as possible. They therefore feel supported and encouraged. The second is to be complicit with your grandchildren “to offer them greater freedom”note the authors in their work. To never run out of ideas and be able to occupy them when you keep them from time to time, it is in your best interest to always have resources with you. Like knowing the recipe for salt dough, having plastic arts materials to do some crafts, having colored pencils and sheets to color in, some “fashionable” children’s books, etc.
Along the same lines, to live in tune with the times, adopt a certain flexibility “without ever forgetting to remain yourself”. Then, to maintain your relationship, your availability is precious “as far as possible, to enjoy every moment with the grandchildren”we can read. As parents do, you can also establish rituals just for you to create memories together and at the same time strengthen your bonds. For example, go to the cinema once a month, make photo albums, bake cakes together, give each other a big hug when you see each other, fill out a notebook with your shared anecdotes, etc.
Because it is often said that ancestors give good advice, do not hesitate to share your opinion and your experience with your grandchildren. This can help them in many areas. Another commandment that is important is to respect your children’s rules when it comes to education “for the stability of your grandchildren and general good understanding”, comment the authors. Conversely, do not refrain from transmitting and sharing your values to your grandchildren by recounting your memories, by sharing one of your passions. Finally, the main thing is to love and love your grandchildren in a caring way.