14 Ways to Strengthen the Child and Grandparent Bond

In December of this year, I experienced one of the biggest thrills of my parenting life—I was in the delivery room with my daughter and her husband when my first grandchild was born. My grandson is now eight months old. Not only am I totally enjoying my new gig as a grandparent, but I have an entirely new respect and appreciation for the incredible role that grandparents play in our kids' lives.

This year, Grandparent’s Day is celebrated on September 8. Grandparents Day is a US national holiday that has been going strong since President Jimmy Carter declared it in 1978. It's great to do something special to commemorate grandparents in early September, but you can honor grandma and grandpa any time. Here are 15 ways you can celebrate grandparents now and throughout the year.

#1 - Use your words. It's important to connect with the special people in our lives to remind them that we love and appreciate them. But in our busy, overscheduled lives, we can go days or weeks without making time for expressing our heartfelt feelings towards our childrens' grandparents. We get so absorbed in our chaotic schedules that we neglect to say “Thanks for being a special part of our family’s lives. We really appreciate all you do for us.” Take a moment to express gratitude on Grandparent's Day. You can also create reminders for yourself to say thanks at other times throughout the year.

Take a moment to express gratitude on Grandparent's Day. You can also create reminders for yourself to say thanks at other times throughout the year.

#2 - Give them a book on grandparenting. My favorite is Creative Grandparenting: How to Love and Nurture a New Generation by Jerry and Judy Schreur, along with their granddaughter, Erin Schreur. It gives so many practical ideas for relating to grandkids of any age. I like the narration of both grandparents and one of their grandchildren. Plus, this is a great read for both grandparents and their children alike.

#3 - Create alone time. Situations vary from family to family, but in many cases, parents are eager to let their kids spend some quality alone time with grandma and grandpa. Depending on your children’s needs and ages, try to arrange one-on-one time for the grandies and their grandkids so they can bond and continue to build that special relationship. When my eight kids were really young, my in-laws were always excited when I invited them to come hang out with us. I was able to run errands...

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