Watch Classic Movies

Tip # 12 Watch classic movies with your grandchildren. Kids need to watch Mary Poppins, Chitty, Chitty Bang Bang and  and The African Queen and other classics such as these. It is part of American culture and its fun to tell them about how much you enjoyed watching them when you were younger. I am always surprised by how many people have never  seen Gone with the Wind, but when I was younger everyone had seen it. National Velvet and Gone with the Wind were the first 2 movies I ever saw in a real movie theater. I was probably 12 years old and I was absolutely spell bound by both of them. I don't know if kids get spell bound by any movies made these days, if not then that is ashamed. Hopefully, with your help they will see the beauty and the art of these old classic movies.

Playing in a Box

Tip # 11 Give the grandchildren a large empty box to play in. When you are stuck indoors due to bad weather then give them a big box to play in. Kids don't get to have simple fun any more. They can use crayons and markers to decorate the box and if they want holes then you can cut them out for them. My grandchildren have played in a large box from our new dish washer for the past three days.Good clean simple fun!

Little Helpers

Tip # 10 Let your grandchildren help you. Let them hammer a few nails and screw in a screw or two when you build something. Yes, it will take longer to get the job done, but the nice thing about being older is that we often don't feel the need to rush through things. When I was little my grandmother would sit me on the kitchen counter so I could dry the dishes we used at dinner.  My granddaughter loves to run the Swifter sweeper over the wood floors. Both grandchildren love to help me water my plants and sorting and matching socks when we fold laundry is just like a game to them. When they help you they are learning how to do things they will eventually need to know and you are teaching them independence plus the importance of lending a hand when needed.

Play Good Old Fashion Games

Tip # 9 Teach your grandchildren to play board games and card games. It will seem low tech to them but, they will quickly discover how much fun something so simple can be. I can't tell you how many nine year old children I have taught to play checkers, and Scrable at school because no one had ever taught them to play before. They enjoy the friendly competition with each other and it helps them develop better social skills. So teach them to play board games and card games, if nothing else they will appreciate what you taught them when they lose power at their house and need something to do.

The Joys of Coloring

Tip # 8 Keep crayons in the house and learn to enjoy coloring. If you are reading this then you obviously have a computer and hopefully a printer. There are lots of great web sites with free coloring pages for kids. You can pretty much say to your grandchild what would you like to color? Google it and print. They will think you are so cool, because they can say I want to color horses or trucks and you can print coloring pages exactly for them. Be sure to color with them and don't miss this opportunity to talk about the names of the colors. Lastly, hang the lovely picture on the refrigerator or some other special place.

Small Acts of love and Kindness Always Count

Tip # 7 Turn something ordinary into something special to let your grandchild know you are thinking about them.On Sunday mornings Grandpa always makes pancakes for our two grandchildren. In February the pancakes are often pink and heart shaped. In March they may be green and clover shaped, in April they may look like Easter eggs or spring flowers. I'm sure you get the picture. He uses food coloring and large sharp cookie cutters to cut the shapes from the round pancakes once they are cooked. I eat the scraps.  When I was little my grandma use to bring me a special treat whenever she went to the bakery. I still remember the gingerbread men at Christmas time. It was a small thing, but I knew she was thinking about me. So do something special to let your grandchildren know that they are always on your mind.

Eat Meals with Your Grandchildren

Tip # 6 When you eat a meal with your grandchildren, sit down at a table with no TV or destractions. Just enjoy the meal and their company. It is sad how many meals the children in this country eat from a paper bag in the back of a car, or by themselves in front of a television. When you eat with your grandchildren model good table manners and appropriate meal conversation. Don't turn meal times  into something unpleasant, with scolding and lecturing. If your grandchild doesn't have good table manners first ask yourself what is resonable to expect from them based on their age, then focus on correcting only one inappropriate meal time behavior at a time. Model the proper behavior and praise their attempts to follow your guidance. They may not eat many meals at home together as a family, so thay may not actually know how to behave properly at the dinner table. This is actually one area that I have had arguements with my own daughter-in-law over. She doesn't see why I think it is terrible to feed children in front of the TV. Research has shown that kids that eat in front of the TV are fatter. Also, one study showed that the more often children ate meals with their families, the less likely they were to smoke, drink and use drugs. So since we are live in grandparents, we set the table and sit down to dinner with our grandchildren every night. Some meals are more enjoyable than others, but we are there with them at dinner time and for now that is all that matters.

Sing and Dance with Your Grandkids for Good Health and Good Fun

Tip # 5 Sing and Dance with your grandchildren. This tip probably benefits you even more than it does your grandchildren. Of course, dancing is good exercise and fun, plus little kids only know how to "free style" dance so whether you are flapping like a chicken or doing the twist, they will love it. Sometimes when I dance with my grandchildren I will call out the name of an animal and we will try to dance a dance that reminds of us of that animal. You know strut like a peacock, hop around like a bunny, or act like a monkey. Especially, don't forget to sing with your grandchildren. Singing raises serotonin levels thus raising your spirits and helps young children develop critical language skills. The rhythm of songs and the rhyming words in many of  the songs for young children help develop  phonemic awareness, an important precursor for reading. So my tip and my wish for you today is "I hope you dance" and sing with your grandchildren. And don't worry if you can't sing very well, your loving voice will be sweet to their ears!

Remember How to Pretend

Tip # 4 Don't be afraid to pretend with your grandchildren. Drink pretend tea and eat pretend food. Feed pretend animals and ride on their  pretend trains. Don't worry about looking silly. Ask your grandchild to tell you all about what the pretend animals like to eat or what the pretend train looks like. This helps develop their imaginations and their verbal skills. Tonight our little actress pretended to be a baby bird hatching from an egg, using a blanket as her egg and then later turned the same blanket into a tent for her brother and her to hide in. I had to be the mommy bird that kept her warm under my wings and then grandpa was the center post for the tent. Of course, at bath time we had our nightly serving of bath water tea. Grandpa and I don't care how silly we look. We remember how much fun it is to pretend and we know they will always remember these silly fun times when we pretended with them.

Share a Good Book!

Tip # 3 Take the time to read to your grandchildren. In this busy life style parents seem to sometimes forget that young children can't yet read to themselves and that sharing a good book with someone you love is an important part of being a child. TV can't replace sitting on Grandma or Grandpa's lap listening to your favorite story. Since I am a live in Grandma we get to read with our grandchildren every day. Right now the 2 year old loves books that are sung, like Wheels on the Bus, and Miss Mary Mack. The three year old likes stories like King Bidgood's in the Bathtub (Caldecott Honor Book) by Audrey and Don Wood  and There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly (Classic Books) by Simms Taback.  Also, don't forget you can get those books you share with your grandchildren from the public library. If you take them on a little field trip with you to pick out the books you are going to read, then you are making "literature memories!"