Five Great Ways to Bond with Grandchildren

Looking for five great ways to bond with grandchildren? Then you are just like most other grandparents. All grandparents love their grandkids from the moment of their birth but they sometimes don't know exactly how to go about building a lasting and loving bond across the generations. These five great ways to bond with grandchildren may give you a window to how to begin to construct that kind of enduring connection you have in mind.

Before you try any particular technique in building a lasting bond with your grandchildren, it's probably helpful to recognize that all such methods will require love, patience, kindness and above all time. If you can commit to those kinds of attitudes you are halfway home.

"You tell me your story, I'll tell you mine", is a wonderful way to build a lasting and loving relationship with your grandchildren. Each time you visit with a grandchild or talk to him or her on the phone work into the conversation those stage setting words: "You tell me your story, I'll tell you mine". Eventually the words will trigger your grandchild to share first some general news and then, as a comfort zone is built, some more significant things that are happening in his or her life. But here's the thing, don't forget to complete the second part of the bonding device. That's right, even if you don't sense a particularly receptive or listening audience, insist on telling your story. You can make it comical or exciting but whatever you do make it brief. The attention span of children for the tales of others is limited at best. But this game is a good way to begin making conversations with your grandchildren two way streets that can lead to bonding with your grandchildren.

For kids who are less communicative, a nice way to bond can be to cook something together whenever you get the chance. Cooking is something that allows a closeness and smiles without creating a discomfort level. Kids love to learn to cook and to be involved in the kitchen. Even the best parents sometimes have enough of kids underfoot in the kitchen. That may create a perfect chance for Grammy or Grampa to step in and get the grandkids busy making a salad, whipping up some blueberry pancakes or simpling dropping some cookie batter on a cookie sheet. Your grandchildren will take away more than a happy eating memory from such experiences. Years later they will fondly recall those special moments you two shared together.

Got a budding comedian among your grandchildren? You might find an easy road to bonding with him or her through jokes. Even when they are basically shy, some kids love to tell jokes. If you give them a receptive audience you open the door to friendship on a very special level. As your grandchild gets a little older he will seek you out as a source for listening but also as a supplier of new jokes he can add to his repertoire. You don't need to be a great comedian yourself. All you need is a bottomless supply of "knock-knock" jokes or "what do you when you cross this with that " jokes and you can connect with your grandchild in a special way. Just one warning, this kind of bond takes lots of patience, a good sense of humor and the ability to be amused by even the least remnant of a joke. Still, its a bond that can last forever. My husband and our grandson have been sharing jokes long distance over the phone for years.

For the artistic grandchild a good way to bond is through trading pictures. Of course you and your grandchild can color your favorite tree or flower and then share your explanation of what you have created. But another favorite I have shared with my grandkids is to begin a picture and then hand it off to them to complete. This lets you settle in with your grandchild and create something together. This kind of artistic play lets kids draw with all the creativity they can muster. Best of all there is no right or wrong way to complete such a picture. Your amazement and admiration for their accomplishments will sustain this bonding activity for years to come. Obviously you can also reverse roles and let your grandchild begin the picture, leaving you to complete it.

There aren't many kids who don't like silly songs. If you ever went to summer camp you probably have lots of silly songs that your grandkids would enjoy hearing, learning and performing. Casting your own inhibitions to the wind and belting out some crazy songs you remember from your own childhood can let your grand kids see you in a whole new light. Together you can gradually create a repertoire of songs that you can share when you gather together. Again, here's a bond that will grow and grow.

Forming lasting bonds with your grandchild is something most grandparents would love to do. To get started all you really need to do is quietly inventory the kinds of things that your grandchild really enjoys and then consider ways to spend time with him or her sharing those kinds of activities. And remember, it's not necessarily the activity that you need to love, it's the child.