Back-to-School Season: How Grandparents Can Stay Involved from Home
There is an unmistakable “back-to-school” vibe that comes to New York City each August. As stores begin to display backpacks, parents start sharing school supply lists on social media and family members begin counting down the days until the first day of school. While many children and young adults will be returning to the classroom, back to school time may seem unattainably far away for seniors who receive in-home care or have limited mobility. This does not mean that they cannot connect with and celebrate this momentous occasion. They simply need to make it happen.
Be the Go-To for First-Day Traditions
Many families have those little routines that happen every year when it is time for school: a special meal before leaving the house; taking an annual photo with your children on the porch; a certain lucky words/phrase that you say to each other as you are sending them off. The grandparents may be able to keep many of these traditions alive-even if they are hundreds of miles away. Calling their child/grandchild after waking them up on the first day of school so they can send pictures, or mailing cards wishing them ‘Good Luck This Year’, give both the grandparent and child something to look forward to, and allows the grandparents to take part in the big moment.
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Start a Standing “How Was School” Call
Many times kids are more open with information in informal settings where there is little pressure, especially when compared to having a family discussion as an agenda item for the evening. The idea of calling your grandmother or grandfather every week and asking them to share with you one positive experience and one negative experience from that week can give kids a reason to be excited for those calls. Furthermore, it will allow grandparents to see what is going on in their grandchildren’s lives.
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Help with Homework in Their Area of Expertise
Your grandparents have decades of knowledge that is much more valuable than you may realize. An old teacher may be able to assist your child with their reading skills. A previous bookkeeper could put an end to your child’s frustration when it comes to completing math worksheets. Someone in your family that has experienced history first-hand can transform a boring textbook chapter into a fun, engaging conversation about events in which your child will learn. Taking a few minutes for a video call to go over a difficult assignment will take what would normally be homework time and turn it into quality family time.
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Send Something in the Mail
In today’s digital world where texting and video chatting have become our norm, an actual letter or post card from a person to a child still has that magical feel. Even a simple postcard, a couple of stickers, or a hand written message wishing them good luck in this new school year can be huge compared to what you would think.
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Ask to See the School Supplies
Something as simple as asking a grandchild to show off their new backpack, pencil case, or folder over video chat gives kids a moment to feel proud and gives grandparents a genuine window into their daily life. Enthusiasm doesn’t have to be complicated to be meaningful.
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Share Their Own School Memories
Kids tend to be curious about what school was like when your Grandparents were in school. They want to know how things differ. How did they get to school? What was recess like? Did you all walk to school? By asking these questions, kids will have a greater understanding of their family history as well as allow you to reminisce over some of your favorite times from school.
Small Effort, Lasting Impact
The concepts discussed above do not demand that grandparent’s travel away from their homes; they also don’t require coordinating an extremely busy schedule; nor will they cause an over whelming amount of stress. All three simply require an intent to connect as well as a desire to call.
For many families who are providing home care, establishing small connection points such as back to school, may be one of the most enjoyable times of year for both grandparents and grandchildren. If you support someone in your life by caring for them at home and would like to help them continue to stay connected to the important events/milestones in the lives of those whom they love (such as going back to school), Angel Care’s caregivers are more than willing to assist in setting up video calls, addressing envelopes etc. or just create space for the opportunity for spontaneous conversations to occur.
Every year on August 21st America takes a moment to reflect on an area of daily focus for all of us here at Angel Care Inc.; the dedication, wisdom and unspoken fortitude of our elder population. The national Senior Citizen’s Day is celebrated each year since its inception in 1988 as a way to pay tribute to the many ways senior citizens contribute to families, neighborhoods, and communities throughout this nation. It can be considered a very personal day for all of us here at Angel Care and working with our senior populations in Brooklyn and New York City. A Lifetime of Contribution Our seniors are people who have helped shape our world. They raised families under difficult circumstances, created careers when no one had established pathways for them, worked within their community, and shared with others many of the traditions which help create who we are today. Some came to New York with only the drive to build a better life for themselves in an area unknown to them. Many other seniors spent years working as professionals that maintained this city's operations behind-the-scenes - including nurses, teachers, transit employees, local small business owners, and caregivers. Their experiences and sacrifices provide each of us with much-needed background information. This allows us to understand where we fit into the larger picture. Why This Day Matters More Than Ever It is easy for older adults to develop feelings of disconnection from their world as they live longer and family members become farther apart; National Senior Citizens Day is an opportunity to remember those days when we are all connected again by slowing down and developing real interest and appreciation toward one another. National Senior Citizens Day may also provide caregivers who manage many aspects of caring for someone else an opportunity to look back on what has been accomplished during this time and to appreciate each other because, while being a caregiver is difficult and most of the time unappreciated, taking the time to acknowledge your loved one will help to put some of the purpose into the daily routine of appointments, medication and so forth. Meaningful Ways to Celebrate You don’t have to have a lot planned to make August 21st be meaningful. Many simple things that we do on a daily basis can create great memories. Have them tell you about some of their experiences that you probably haven’t heard about. Ask them questions that will get them talking. “What was your first job?” or “How different was our neighborhood when you first came here” are good examples. Most seniors have many stories that no one has ever asked to hear. Record it. Using your phone, record the conversation; if not then take notes afterwards. What they say is part of their family history. Make a meal from their past. Make a dish from a recipe from their youth or the food of their homeland. The way people look at food is very important to how we see ourselves as individuals. Go over the old photographs with them. Ask them who all are in the photos and what were some of the happenings going on around the photo. I think this is usually where some of the greatest stories come out. Write a letter (and sign it). Write a hand written thank you letter for whatever lesson, service, etc. they provided for the family. Handwritten letters are always better than cards bought at the store. Include the kids/grandkids. On the day, find ways to connect the younger generation with each other and with their elders. Children will remember this long after the adults expect them to forget. Just spend quality time together. At times the best thing you can do is simply be present, no agenda, turn off your phone. A Day, and a Practice National Senior Citizens' Day is a good reason to stop what you are doing and show your gratitude to those individuals that have helped shape who you are today. However, most of the families we work with that provide care successfully view this type of acknowledgment as part of their day-to-day routine rather than something to do only on National Senior Citizens' Day. At Angel Care, our goal is to create time for you and your family to focus on developing meaningful experiences with your senior loved ones while reducing the burden of providing for all of the logistical needs associated with senior care. In addition to assisting with daily tasks and responsibilities, many of our caregivers form a personal relationship with each of the seniors they support, and become additional resources for listening to and recording the memories that make life so special.
