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Grandparents Can Have Role of Honor in Families

By Robin McClure, About.com Guide

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What can schools, community groups, or child care providers do to help celebrate grandparents or to brighten the day of seniors any time throughout the year? Here are some ideas:

Arrange for a visit with a nursing home and provide for some quality time. Depending on the season or age of children, activities can include having lunch with seniors, making special appreciation cards and hand-delivering them, providing a mini-performance or talent show for their entertainment, coming in dance costume and let residents see the youngsters in their finery, involve them through a scouting project, bring some games and play with seniors (many centers have lively games of Bingo, for example), or just come and visit.

Child care providers can ask parents to bring family photos that children can share with one another. Ask families to provide one piece of family history or nostalgia, and the child can share it with the group. Perhaps a grandparent immigrated to this country from elsewhere, or had seven children, or fought in a War...the key is to share and to keep the history alive in the minds of young and old alike.

Schools and care providers can celebrate grandparents and their contributions to our lives by inviting grandparents to have lunch with their grandchild. If possible, take a photo of grandparent and grandchild (parents too) and then have the child create a special frame and present it to the grandparent.

Surprise grandparents by having a "living wall" or a special skit or perhaps a painting showing generations of family. Be creative and have fun!

Adopt a grandparent! The attention given and the love received back is what helps strengthen the bond between the generations even more. No grandparents should be lonely and without attention on this day, if it can be helped, and a simple demonstration of support and appreciation can add a smile that crosses the years!