Grandparents have a special bond with their grandchildren, and participating in meaningful and fun activities can help strengthen that relationship and bring joy to both generations. The staff at Home Care Assistance, a leading provider of home care in Kitchener, suggests these activities your elderly loved one can share with his or her grandchildren.
Look at Old Pictures
Kids are often surprised to discover their parents were once young. To entertain the grandchildren, your loved one can pull out photo albums and tellthem the story of their mother or father’s first steps, first date, or first car. Thegrandchildren may relish hearing tales of their parents’ teenage years or the time Mom or Dad got in trouble as a child.
Cook Together
Chances are your loved one has a special family recipe to pass down to his or her grandchildren. Your loved one may want to spend an afternoon teaching the grandchildren how to make his or her famous apple pie, then enjoy the dish together as they talk about family history and traditions.
Play Video Games
Seniors often have to competewith smartphones, computers, and video gamesfor the attention of their grandchildren. Instead, your loved one can embrace the technology and ask the grandchildren to teach him or her how to play their favorite games. Even if he or she doesn’t catch on, they can still have fun laughing and playing together.
Dress Up
Young grandchildren mayenjoy trying on your loved one’s old clothes. Your loved one can talk about the era each piece came from, show off favorite jewelry, and tell the story of each garment as they play dress up together.
Create a New Tradition
Your loved one may want to give the grandchildren something special to look forward to when they visit. For example, treating them to breakfast in bed when they sleep over, investing in special toys they don’t have at home, or transforming the backyard into a soccer field. If your loved one uses his or her imagination to offer something the grandchildren don’t have at home, they may wanttovisit more often and have fun together.
Spending time with grandchildren can be one of the best ways to help your loved one maintain a sense of purpose. If this is not always an option, another way to help promote his or her emotional wellbeing is with the companionship of a professional caregiver. For trusted part-time and 24-hour care in Kitchener, reach out to Home Care Assistance. All of our caregivers are trained in the holistic Balanced Care Method, which helps promote excellent physical health, mental awareness, and inner calm. In addition to providing emotional support, our caregivers can assist your loved one with a wide variety of daily tasks. For more information on our senior care services, please call a qualified Care Manager today at (519) 954-2111. We hope to hear from you soon.