Question:
We are very close to our daughter-in-law’s parents who live near us. Our oldest grandson will be 6 soon, and we have only been to one birthday party. We would love to go to another party and would even stay in a hotel. However, we usually end up going a month ahead to celebrate the birthday on our grandson’s Spring break. I know it could be more complicated with all 4 grandparents there, but I just want our grandson to know we celebrate and love him. Currently, we go at separate times. Any ideas for us?
Response:
Grandparenting from a distance can be hard, but it can be done well. Your desire to communicate your love for your grandson is admirable.
I encourage you to follow through on plans to visit your grandson, with his parents’ permission of course, and to invite his family to visit you as well. Since your grandson’s other grandparents live near you, perhaps your son and daughter-in-law could make a trip to you and split time between your home and the other grandparents’ home, from time to time.
Now of course, that would likely not happen very often so all of the grandparents need to make an effort to stay involved with this growing boy from a distance.
Here is an article that provides some great information, and it was written by one of our Legacy Coalition staff members, Wayne Rice. It includes all of the suggestions that I would have made and more. View the article here.
The most important thing for all of you to remember is to be intentional about having regular and consistent contact with your grandson and with his parents. By doing so, you can communicate how much you value their family and want to leave a legacy of faith and discipleship.
