The Importance of Grandparents: Tips and Resources

“When the going gets tough, I go to Grandma’s.”

Many of us have fond memories from childhood that involve a grandparent. Today’s families are changing and these special relationships are more important than ever.

Grandparents can provide a link to our past, our roots, our history, and our legacy. They can make children feel special by giving their undivided time and attention to their grandchildren. They can be confidants and mentors, sharing interests, teaching skills and helping children to develop positive attitudes about aging. They can assist parents when we become stressed or overwhelmed – pulled in too many directions at once.

Today, grandparenting is not about old age. The average ages of grandparents are between 49 and 53. In the United States, 70 million individuals are grandparents. The majority are healthy, active and educated.

The grandparent role can vary from involved to remote. The degree of closeness between a grandparent and a grandchild develops through frequency of contact, geographic arrangements; agreed upon role and attitudes about the value and importance of the relationship. For those grandparents who do not live geographically close to their grandchildren, relationships can be supported by exchanging books, making tapes, mailing pictures, artwork, school newspapers, journals and through email.

Everyone – children, families and society benefits from strong grandparent/grandchild relationships, summed up beautifully in the words of Helen Keller; “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen, or even touched; they must be felt with the heart.”  

Websites for Grandparents:

• http://www.tcpnow.com. A great intergenerational web site with activity kits for Grandparents Day, Valentines Day and Mother’s Day plus resources and articles.
• American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) Their website has a wealth of articles and links to valuable resources for all Grandparents. 

Submitted by Barb Schwartz with the Illinois Department on Aging.