Grandparents' Day is Sunday, September 11th. It's a nationally recognized holiday celebrated on the first Sunday after Labor Day as a time "to honor grandparents, to give grandparents an opportunity to show love for their children's children, and to help children become aware of strength, information, and guidance older people can offer." President Jimmy Carter signed the official proclamation for the holiday on August 3, 1978.
I lost my father as a teenager and my mother passed away in 2020 after a long battle with Alzheimer's and the one regret I have is that I didn't write down more of their stories to share with my kids and their future families (and OH MY GOODNESS, there are some good ones!) Our oldest has some memories of his grandmother, but our youngest will only have those that are artificially conjured from us sharing photos and our own memories of her visits with my mom.
I lost my father as a teenager and my mother passed away in 2020 after a long battle with Alzheimer's and the one regret I have is that I didn't write down more of their stories to share with my kids and their future families (and OH MY GOODNESS, there are some good ones!) Our oldest has some memories of his grandmother, but our youngest will only have those that are artificially conjured from us sharing photos and our own memories of her visits with my mom.
Grandparents' Day is a perfect opportunity to help your kids learn more about your family's stories and history by spending some time with a grandparent (an older relative or family friend is also a great candidate for a family interview!)
Plan now to invite a grandparent to lunch, make a date to call them via phone, or connect with them over Zoom or email to give them the opportunity to share their memories about the family - from childhood to grandparenthood. It may take multiple conversations and get-togethers, so perhaps you can have a standing date with Grandma & Grandpa each week!
Then create a list of questions with your kids that you can ask to not only learn more about the individual but also your family!
Here are a few questions to get you started:
Plan now to invite a grandparent to lunch, make a date to call them via phone, or connect with them over Zoom or email to give them the opportunity to share their memories about the family - from childhood to grandparenthood. It may take multiple conversations and get-togethers, so perhaps you can have a standing date with Grandma & Grandpa each week!
Then create a list of questions with your kids that you can ask to not only learn more about the individual but also your family!
Here are a few questions to get you started:
- What was your favorite toy/game when you were my age?
- What was your school like?
- What were your family traditions for (holidays/birthdays/etc)?
- Tell me about your first job
- What music/books/movies did you enjoy most?
- As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
- What do you remember most about dating Grandpa/Grandma? About your wedding?
- What was my mom/dad/aunt/uncle like as a kid?
- Do you remember … (where you were when the first man landed on the moon, when President Reagan was shot, etc.). Ask several of these questions with different dates and events. This will help you craft a family history that intersects with significant historical events.
- Go through photos and memorabilia together and ask questions about what is happening in the photo. This was a great tool for my mother, who couldn't recall earlier that day, but 50 years ago - not a problem.
Make sure you capture the stories using an audio or video recorder, or with a simple pen and paper, so you can share what you have learned with family near and far. Some ideas include:
- Create a video to share with relatives
- Write a book, with their memories and stories shared in different chapters
- Make a family scrapbook with pictures and words
- Create a family tree or family collage
Have fun with learning about and preserving your family memories and celebrating your grandparents!
We know that some families may no longer have grandparents living or may live too far away to make this a good option. Your kids can still benefit from the wisdom of older generations! Older relatives, or even Grandma's best friend, can be a great option. Not only will you learn a lot, but you will likely bring joy to their day by asking questions and taking the time to connect with them. Another option would be to contact a local nursing home and ask the activities director if there are residents that you and your kids can visit on Grandparents' Day. You can still ask the same questions. Even though the answers won't be specific to your own family, you will still learn a lot from someone else's grandparent!
