Shirley Carlson
La Crescenta Presbyterian Church
My husband and I are snowbirds to Southern California where our son’s family with two of our grandchildren live. (We choose to get out of the brutal winters of the Mid-west.) Recently my granddaughter interviewed me for one of those grandmother’s story books. It has been a fun experience recalling and sharing with her some of my history.
In an ideal world, grandparents would have easy access to their grandchildren, but in today’s mobile society, families are often separated by hundreds of miles. Fortunately, we can connect with FaceTime on our cell phones, but it isn’t quite the same as giving or receiving a hug. However, we can take the opportunity to do fun things when we are together or even over the phone. This site gives some possibilities for fun activities.
Several studies have shown the value of experiences when older adults and children or youth interact. Here are some of the benefits: Youth involved in intergenerational mentoring programs are 46 percent less likely to begin using illegal drugs, 27 percent less likely to begin using alcohol, and 52 percent less likely to skip school. Wow, that alone makes it worth the effort! Why not start a mentoring program at your church?
Perhaps you can encourage your fellowship committee at church to offer some of the intergenerational activities described in this site.
Click here for a complete book of ideas.
Try some of the suggested activities and have fun learning from each other.
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Other GenOn Connect March-April 2019 articles
When Intergenerational Community Takes Root and Grows
One Great Idea: Yoga with Our Youth
Two Questions: Wendy Claire Barre