Tuesday, February 17, 2009



in showing our kids how to treat others with kindness and respect, an easy target is grandparents. they will be overjoyed with almost anything (time together, a picture drawn, a hand of "go fish"). another fun activity is to have your children come up with a list of questions to ask the grandparents, "what was your favorite candy as a kid?", "what was the worst job you ever had?", what's the most embarrassing thing that happened to you when you were my age?"

if your kids don't have grandparents near by or at all, it is very easy (and deeply appreciated) to ADOPT A GRANDPARENT and brighten up a person's day. just google "adopt a grandparent" along with the city you live in, and you will find a long list of participating retirement homes.

the lesson: it is sometimes forgotten, but so invaluable to treat the older generations with the respect they have earned. 

***added bonus: actually the mystery of what your child will get out of this experience is pretty exciting - the unknown...  and maybe a hard candy.

2 comments:

Jess Pokaski said...

Hi Meredith -

So sorry to hear about your grandpa! Wow - 100! That's truly amazing. I love this post because I think our relationships with older folks are so important and I was very close with my own grandparents who I think about every day. I always think I'd love to volunteer with seniors. Anyway, we're thinking of you!

xo
Jess (Joe and Charlie too!)

Meredith Alexander said...

hey jess
thank you so much for your sweet thoughts.
i think that people who volunteer with seniors are pretty amazing and what they get in return is also quite remarkable.
love, mer