A grandparent can acknowledge that the couple had problems getting along without damaging the children's view of their parents. Most important, grandparents can express their love and concern to give the children the extra attention they may need. Across the miles Many of today's grandparents and stepgrand-parents must deal with their grandchildren living at a great distance rather than down the road or across town. Different methods of communication work for different grandparents. The traditional ways of staying in touch include letters, phone calls and visits.
Many families have children spend a week or so with grandparents during summer vacation.
Other families have several generations take vacations together at a cabin or camp where they can renew ties and enjoy one another's company. Some grandparents send audiotapes to grandchildren who in turn record messages to send back to Grandma and Grandpa. Other families buy or rent video cameras and share recordings of the grandchildren in both pictures and sound. Sometimes grandparents and stepgrandparents create unique ways to send special messages to grandchildren such as always using a red envelope for letters, taping a bedtime story, starting new traditions and teaching family craft skills to older children. One grandmother even got an 800 number to encourage her grandchildren to call anytime.