Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Day 3 with Fay: Connecting with your Grandchildren

As grandparents, we love to remain connected to and involved with our families. My post yesterday presented five ideas for grandparents to gather with their families when grandchildren live close by. Today’s post gives five ideas to share your heart with grandchildren who live far away. Each idea is presented from a different individual. (Of course you saw the insider information note from yesterday’s post. So you know the truth of that statement!)


Celebrated Author
Fay Klingler

1.     I make postcards on my computer for every season to mail to all of my grandchildren, whether they live close by or in another state or country. They enjoy getting a personal card in the mail from their grandma.

2.     My grandchildren live in another state. Since they are in year-round schools, they have a week of vacation in the fall. That has proven to be a wonderful time for a visit. They live in a part of the country where the seasons run together, and so the children wouldn’t otherwise see the fall colors on the trees. At that time of year there is a lot of work to be done in preparation for the coming winter. My grandson loves the out-of-doors and is right by my side as we harvest the last of the garden vegetables. He counts the potatoes, the carrots, and the onions as we dig them and wash them with the garden hose. Then he “helps” with the cooking and just beams when we serve the vegetables for dinner. We are not only building happy, lasting memories; we are fostering an appreciation for a strong body and teaching our grandson how to work.

3.     I have a nice scrapbook filled exclusively with drawings by my grandchildren—drawings of Grandpa. Each year, in the fall, I ask each of them to draw a portrait of their Grandpa. They write their names on the pictures, and we date them and put them in the scrapbook. We have been doing this for seven years now. It is really fun to look through the drawings and see how Grandpa has changed! [Grandchildren, regardless of where they live, could easily contribute to such a scrapbook. Then, at family reunion time, the scrapbook could take center stage with everyone enjoying all the entries.]

4.     Some of my grandchildren live far away from me. To help keep in touch, I made up some stationery on my computer for them to use. I chose the kind of ball (football, soccer ball, tennis ball, baseball, etc.) they enjoy playing with and printed it on both the paper and on the envelopes. I wrote their own return addresses and my address on the envelopes and affixed the postage, then sent them a supply with a request they write to me.

5.     I use my color printer and heavy paper to make a personalized jigsaw puzzle. I print a picture of a teddy bear (or some other cute image) with a message in large print, such as: “I miss you,” or “Someone loves you.” I cut the picture into puzzle pieces and put them in a reclosable plastic bag and mail them to my grandchildren who live far away.

I took these ideas from my book The LDS Grandparents’ Idea Book, published by Deseret Book. http://www.amazon.com/LDS-Grandparents-Idea-Book-ebook/dp/B00HCN9FPE/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1446501153&sr=8-3&keywords=fay+klingler


Fay A. Klingler is the author of the best-selling book The LDS Grandparents’ Idea Book, I Am Strong! I Am Smart! and many other books and articles (www.fayklingler.com). She can be contacted on her Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/FayKlingler.


  

Thank you, Fay, for this wonderful article. My grandmother would send me brown paper packages wrapped up with string. I always felt special when they came. Children so seldom receive mail. I went on a hunt for you, to find gorgeous, printable post cards and KnickOfTime.Net did not disappoint! Follow the below image link to download their darling printables.
Free Printable Antique Postcards

And I didn't stop there. Talk about making Grannies look good! Thank you "Free Pretty Things for You!" 
Free vintage altered art Baby postcards By FPTFY


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