The summer has gone faster than the blink of an eye, and Grandparents Day is almost here. If you haven’t made plans yet, now’s the time!
Connecting with the generations above us can teach us a lot. A great first step to making the most of any visit is offering your full attention without distractions.
If you have to use your phone while you’re together, bring it to show your loved ones all your latest pictures to bring them up to speed on everything you’ve been up to lately. Sharing your photos and stories could spark fun memories they’ll share with you, too!
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If you’d like to get to know a little more about your grandparents or older relatives, here’s a list of questions that can be great conversation starters:
- What did you do for fun when you were young?
- What was school like?
- Who was at your dinner table?
- What did your family usually cook, and did you help?
- Did you have a job or chores?
- Did you have an allowance?
- What was the first big thing you bought, and how much did it cost?
- Did you like school?
- Do you still have friends from school today?
- What was it like growing up without the convenience of some technologies like smartphones?
- What was your favorite TV show, music, book, or magazine?
- What did you want to be when you grew up?
- When you were young, what did you envision for your life?
- What advice do you have for young people today?
- Do you have a bucket list?
There are so many creative questions that could be added to this list. There’s even a game-like version available on Amazon: The Life Story Interview Kit comes in a convenient, easy-to-manage box that can be toted anywhere for visits, holidays, or to break the monotony of long car rides.
Celebrating Grandparents Day is all about family and togetherness. If you have small children, bring them to see their grandparents. Encourage older children to make the time to visit their grandparents as well to keep the holiday alive!
Celebration Ideas for Grandparents Day:
- Plan an activity (based on their responses to the questions at the beginning of this blog—from their bucket list if possible).
- Cook or bake.
- Do arts and crafts (create a meaningful keepsake like a holiday ornament, scrapbook, collage, or garden stone).
- Read books together.
- Visit a local museum, park, aquarium, or zoo.
- Play Scrabble or other board games.
- Take a walk, bike ride, or drive to somewhere they would enjoy.
- See a movie in the theater.
- Do a puzzle.
- Plant flowers.
- Organize a family picnic.
- Play a round of golf or mini-golf.
- Enjoy a game of pickleball.
If your grandparents reside in a senior living community, visit them. Chances are there’s a celebration event planned. Call ahead and get the scoop before you visit. The most important thing you can do is acknowledge Grandparents Day and make your loved ones feel special and honored that you took the time.
If you enjoy spending time with seniors and helping improve their days, consider a career at Edgewood! You’ll get to spend time with folks who feel just like your grandparents every day. You get to know them and their families and enjoy the best stories! Check out our open positions here.
