Tips for Staying Close to Your Grandchildren During Weekend Visits

Every grandparent eventually has to face the reality of their relationship with their grandkids. As you both have grown older, the distance between you has increased. Staying close to the younger generation in general is a difficult beast to tackle. Luckily, there are a few subtle ways to keep good, close relations with your grandchildren. On their next weekend visit you have with them, just try a few of these suggestions to your relationship stong.

1. The Nintendo Wii.

You pretty often hear me praise the Nintendo Wii and this is one of the main reasons for it. Throughout my time owning Nintendo's latest home console I've found that it has the uncanny ability to bring my whole family in front of the TV for fun. I've managed to spend lots of time with my grandmother playing some of her favorite games on the Wii. That's right, she has favorites. My grandmother and I have enjoyed Mario Power Tennis, Super Mario Sluggers, and (of course) Wii Sports together.

My suggestion to you? Purchase a Nintendo Wii as a Christmas or birthday gift for your grandchildren. Then make an effort to play with them whenever you visit on the weekend. Find some games both of you enjoy. Nintendo made an effort to create a game system that everyone could play together- take this opportunity. You can find Nintendo Wiis at GameStop, Target, Walmart, and most any other major retailer.

2. Brush up on their lives.

From small children to teenagers, your grandkids appreciate it when you show an interest in their lives. Get some information together on what's been going on with them. If you visit with a few subjects in common to talk about, they'll return the favor by opening up more. Do your homework on your grandkids!

3. Bring a gift.

This one is probably a no-brainer. Some don't like this method as its almost like bribing your relatives to like you, but it's really just a matter of courtesy. If you don't see someone often, it's polite to gift them upon meeting. Not only does it lighten any potential tension, it also sets a good example in terms of generosity. Make sure you observe step 2- that way you'll know what your grandchild is interested in.

4. Wii Sports Resort.

Last year Nintendo released the sequel to their outrageously popular Wii Sports. This resort-styled game features plenty of fun games to challenge your grandchildren to. The package includes Table Tennis, Bowling, Golf, Air Sports, Swordplay, Basketball, Cycling, Frisbee, Wakeboarding, Power-cruising, and Canoeing. It's likely you and your grandchildren will find a few that you enjoy playing together. Many are turn-based so you'll be able to play together without purchasing a second Wii Motion Plus device- the game comes bundled with one.

5. Bring a Photo Album

This one isn't meant for every weekend as it can breed resentment. Still it's a good idea to introduce your grandchildren to your memories as well as younger versions of you and the rest of their relatives. Make sure to include baby pictures of them as this instills a certain surreal element. Just take a few minutes to reminisce with your beloved grandchildren.

6. Wii Play.

Wii Play is among the most popular games released for the Nintendo Wii. Why? It's bundled with an extra Wiimote! Consider this gift an investment toward your future of playing games and getting closer to your kids. Wii Play includes several games- Air Hockey, Find Mii, Pong, Cow Racing, Tanks!, Fishing, Pose Mii, and the Shooting Gallery. It can be a lot of fun and the games are easy for non-gamers to ease into!