Grandparents can offer their grandchildren companionship during activities the children enjoy. Companionship can take many forms. It is not just the special things grandparents do for their grandchildren or the places they take them, it is also the quiet time they spend together doing everyday things. Grandparents might let their grandchildren join them as they bake, garden, or work on something around the home. Grandparents can share history and family traditions.
Children love to hear stories about what it was like when their grandparent was their age.
Grandparents can tell stories that help their grandchildren see the personal side of family members that they may not have known. Grandparents can be a role model to show grandchildren that older people can be fun. Children are sometimes afraid of growing older. Being around their elders who approach life with a good humor will allow children to have a more positive view of growing older themselves. Grandparents need to show grandchildren that they are accepted just as they are.