GRAND Fall 2021

during COVID, it’s a little scary. But a
bath in the middle of the day, with exciting
new bath toys, or just some yogurt
containers, a little shampoo, and
an old hand-cranked egg beater, can
be really fun. Drops of food-colouring
added to the bath add interest. Check
out bath crayons. Kids can draw on the
walls and then it all washes off.
5. Snacks
Check with your grandchildren’s
parents about what foods they might
not be allowed, or are allergic to. And
then, within those boundaries, stock
up on snacks. A grandparent who
pulls out cookies or cherries or cucumber
slices at just the right moment
is a hero! Remember how your kids
always had tantrums in the late afternoon?
It’s usually because they are
hungry, and we are making them wait
for supper. Plan for some fresh fruit
and veggies that the kids can nosh on
while they wait for the evening meal.
Then, when dinner is served, they’ve
already eaten their vegetables!
6. Cooking and Baking
Cooking and baking with a grandparent
is often one of kids’ best
memories! Plan a simple baking project.
Buy a little apron, perhaps a small
rolling pin, some fun cookie cutters.
Be aware that for preschoolers, cooking
is a rich sensory process. They
need to feel, grab, taste, smell, clutch,
smear everything! It’s not going to be
tidy, so relax and explore with your
grandchild.
Smell the cinnamon, taste the sugar
and the salt, and the baking powder
(yuck!). Focus on the process, and
don’t worry too much about the product.
Enjoy!
7. Toys
You may be tempted to get a whole
bunch of toys to amuse your grandchildren
while they are visiting. Be
careful! A few toys go a long way. And
they make less mess. Building toys
(blocks, Lego, Duplo) are versatile and
fun for all ages. Puzzles are great, but
make sure they are age-appropriate
and not too frustrating. Think about
grandmag.ca
toys that encourage interaction and
playing together. It’s fun to pull out
the toys your kids played with—if you
still have some of those. Check them
out first. Make sure they are clean,
and complete, and that they meet current
safety standards. A grandparent I
know lays out a Brio track every night
after the kids are in bed, and the kids
come down in the morning to discover
it. They are harsh critics: “Great track
Grampa! But yesterday’s was better!”
A grandmother I know bought
a beautiful tea set for her grandson,
because she had always wanted one
as a child. They had lovely tea parties
together, with the burnt cookies they
had baked! Make sure you have a place
to put all the toys away at the end of
the day. A big toy bin will make cleanup
easy.
8. Gardening
If you like gardening, and have
a garden, think about how you can
share that pleasure with your grandkids.
Can you give them a little spot
they can dig in? A few seeds to “plant?”
A little apron, some tiny gardening
gloves, a small trowel and bucket.
Make sure the tools are real. Plastic
tools are often disappointing. My children’s
grandmother taught them a lot
about the names of flowers and plants,
and weeds, too. That’s a way of sharing
a love of plants even if you don’t
have a garden.
9. Outings
Grandparents have always been
important in teaching children about
their culture and heritage. Taking
your grandchildren to museums, community
festivals and events, concerts
and movies is a great way to do that.
Don’t expect too much of the kids’ attention
span though. Be prepared with
a lot of snacks and a really good attitude
yourself! And be prepared to bail
and go home if it just doesn’t seem like
the right day for this outing. Try again
next year!
10. Downtime
When your grandchildren come to
visit, things can get intense. There
may be too many people, too many
family events, too many outings.
Make sure there is a quiet time every
day, when you and your grandchild
can cuddle and read books or watch a
movie. With any luck, that will turn
into a nap! What a delight! If there
have been several high-energy, eventfilled
days in a row, declare a hang-out
day. Stay home. Wear pyjamas. Eat
cereal. Make playdough (thebestideasforkids.com/playdough-recipe).
Build
a blanket fort. Those memories are
golden!
Eva Bild is the owner
of the Mothering Touch
Centre on Fort Street in
Victoria. She teaches
many of the classes
there, including
the popular
Grandparenting
Class. Visit motheringtouch.ca,
instagram.com/motheringtouch975
or facebook.com/motheringtouch.
Vol. IV, Ed. III 19