Are you a grandparent who loves spending time with your grandchildren but find that the distance between where you live and where they live makes it difficult? Or are you a parent who wants to find a way for your child to be able to talk and spend more quality time with their grandparents who live far away and only get to see them a couple of times a year? Trust us, you’re not alone.
Many families are facing this problem and want their little ones to be able to have sweet relationships with their grandparents. Living in a pandemic changed a lot for families, including kids getting to spend time with their grandparents, despite not living far away from them. Did you know, more than 140,000 children lost a parent or grandparent caregiver to COVID?
This saddening information sheds more reality on how this pandemic has affected families across the world. Because of this, many families don’t get to meet with their loved ones like they used to be able to. This has caused people to find new and innovative ways for families to connect while staying safe and keeping their families healthy. Let’s talk about how you as a grandparent can stay connected to your grandchildren no matter what!
Video-Chatting
So how do you stay connected in such a hard time? There are plenty of ways to connect with kids, especially via video-chat. Video-chatting is a great way to connect with your grandchildren no matter how far away you may be from them. Technology is a blessing in this day and age. You have the ability to not only talk to loved ones but also see their face. You no longer have to wait to see photos on social media to see how tall they’ve grown or how the new haircut they’ve recently gotten looks.
You can now see your grandchildren over video and get all the details in a more personal way. How amazing is it that we can see our loved ones’ faces even if we are halfway around the world? Video-chatting is the most personal form of communication we have available today and all you need is either a smartphone, computer, or tablet. Video-chatting is easy and convenient, allowing you to talk to your grandchildren whenever you want. Do they have a certain time each day that is devoted to playing and reading? Those times would be a great time to video-call them and see how their days are going.
Games
We all know kids love games! Have you ever wondered if there were easier ways to interact with your grandchildren via video-call? Sometimes children can find it hard to focus for long periods of time, so finding ways to entertain them while getting to connect with them isn’t easy.. A great way to stay connected to your grandchildren and grow in your relationship with them is to be intentional about having fun with them, and that can include playing games.
Kids may have preferences and some may favor certain types of games over others. What games do your grandchildren like? Do they like puzzles and enjoy solving them together, or by themselves? Do they go for word searches and race to find as many words as they can before the timer goes off? What about building games?
If you’re not sure what games they like, now is the time to connect with them and find out. The more time you spend with them playing games, the more you will come to learn which ones they like the most! In order to have a strong relationship with your grandchildren, time needs to be spent connecting with each other and learning more about one another.
Reading
Books are an amazing option to use to connect more with your grandchildren. Not only do kids love books for their colorful pictures and engaging storylines, but they love being read to, especially by someone they love. Being read to is a way for kids to relax and let their imagination take over as their grandparent tells the story they are longing to hear. Your voice is comforting and familiar to them, and that’s what makes it so enjoyable.
If you currently enjoy reading to your grandchild, take comfort in knowing no matter where you are, they’re just one video-call away. If you don’t usually read to your grandchild, it’s never too late to start. Although you may prefer to be in person with them all snuggled up to read them a book, you still have the ability to do that even when you might be far away or unable to visit. You can even make storytime a regular occurrence with the help of modern technology. Imagine them being excited to hear grandma or grandpa read them a bedtime story!
Drawing
Does your grandchild enjoy art and the freedom of creativity it invites? Let their artistic side shine with drawing and coloring apps. Drawing together is a great way to bond and have fun. You don’t need to be the best artist to have fun and create art, but you may surprise yourself or learn something new. Whether you both color a picture together or draw your own, it’ll be special to make memories together that will last a lifetime.
The amazing thing about drawing apps is that you don’t need to worry about having art supplies like paper and crayons. You have all the colors and supplies you could need right there on the app which gives you more options to choose from. You also don’t need to worry about losing the artwork when you’re both finished; you can save any work right there on the app and have it forever. Or, feel free to save and post what you and your loved one have created to the world! How fun would that be?
With the drawing options that the Caribu app provides, you get to join a video-chat call and watch them draw while getting to talk to them, it’s as if you’re right there together. They get to express their creativity, all while spending time with you. Get creative with your little ones today!
Get Connected Today
Having grandchildren is a beautiful gift. Spending quality time is so good for your relationship with your grandchild and it’s a blessing for you. Some easy ways to connect more with them are by video-chatting, playing games, drawing, and reading to them. Living during a pandemic can make spending time with family a bit more tricky, but thankfully, these activities can all be done virtually.
As long as you have a device and an internet connection, you’re good to go! Caribu offers all of these activities and more. We make connecting with family easier than ever with our user-friendly services and products. With thousands of books and games to choose from, you can read or play games all while being on a video-chat with your grandchildren. How cool is that?!
We’ve provided all the tools you would need to connect with your family and have fun. No more waiting until your next family visit; get Caribu today and stay connected to the ones that mean the most to you!
Sources:
Building Strong Family Relationships | Cooperative Extension | University of Delaware
10 Ways to Connect With Long-Distance Grandparents | HealthyWomen