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Health & Fitness

What Kind of Grandparent Are You?

Audrey is a recognized expert on senior housing, retirement and many matters facing getting older in America. Her advice is always insightful and fun to read.

If you have grandchildren—whether they’re babies, in grade school or off to college, you are a pioneer who is discovering new frontiers because grand parenting today is being reinvented.  Once upon a time grandmothers were depicted in rocking chairs knitting sweaters for their grandchildren while they waited for the chocolate chip cookies in the oven to be done.   Today, whether you’re a grandma or a grandpa, you have the opportunity to create a grand parenting style that is a perfect fit for you and your family.  Most important though—whether you live across the country or around the corner, you can let your grandchildren know that you love them and can be counted on to be there for them when it matters most.

I’ve found that grand parenting styles can be as individual as you are.   If you like to travel, you can include grandchildren in your travel plans.  If you like to cook, you can teach them your favorite recipes.  The same goes for other hobbies that you enjoy such as photography, camping, painting, bird watching, writing, stamp collecting, or fishing.  I could go on, but I think you get the idea.  Anything that interests you is worth sharing with your grandchildren and provides a way for you to connect with them. 

Working with all kinds of people over the last 30 years, I’ve learned that grandparents can even use this new stage of life as an opportunity for personal growth.  One way to play an important role in the lives of your grandchildren is through technology.  Even though many in the older generation may be nervous about using this new medium because it changes so quickly, when they become tech-savvy they find they can develop stronger relationships with their grandchildren who have never known a world without technology. 

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But whether you are a more traditional grandparent or one who stays in touch with your grandchildren via Skype online camera/Internet set-ups and voice-activated cell phones or Facebook, it’s up to you to decide just how to be the best grandparent you know how to be.  You’re in charge.

For questions and comments, you can call me at 847-825-1161, email me at audrey@summitofuptown.com , or write to me at The Summit of Uptown, 10 N. Summit Ave., Park Ridge, Ill 60068.

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