A Blast from the Past
Grandparents can give their grandkids
the most precious gift of all...

One of the nicest things about grandparents is that they have been around since before time began, or so most grandkids think.

And one of the nicest things about young grandchildren is that they find this absolutely fascinating. Try it one day, and see if your own gaggle of admirers love hearing a personal 'blast from the past'...

History, Herstory...
Things that happened In the Good Old Days have always fascinated children.  (Stories of when they were little are also welcome -- they can just about manage to imagine themselves as babies.) When mom and dad were little is a bigger stretch - everyone knows that mom and dad were born as grownups.

Ah, but when Grandma or PopPop were kids! It's like hearing first-hand accounts from history books.

Getting to know you
Sharing stories help grandchildren to feel part of the fabric of the family. Things that happened when they weren't there form most of the relationships around them. 

By including them you help teach them about how relationships are formed and about the uniqueness of individuals. 

"So, that's why Mom and Aunt Sue are so close!" or "Gee, I never knew Uncle John was a hippie!" adds depth to the adults in their lives.

Getting to know the world
A member of the class of '41 recently shared this in the online newsletter: "Not long ago we had a visit from grandchildren when the conversation turned to the good old days.” The youngsters were fascinated ...

"With a background of the Great Depression and the value of a dollar, they were incredulous at the idea of "ten-cents night" at a downtown theater, walking all the way there, and afterward going to Swedes for a 5-cent cherry coke, or sometimes extravagantly indulging in a 10-cent hot fudge sundae." 

Not all of us can tell tales of the Depression. But the pop culture of the 50's, 60's, the Beatles, Woodstock, or penny candy are just as amazing to your grandchildren.

The next time you have an opportunity to spend time with them, share yourself with your grandchildren...dust off the photo album...or exhibit your very strange 8-track tape or vinyl record collection...and then try to figure out who enjoys it more.