When Your Grandchild Lives Far Away
Grandparents Day comes but once a year, but I like to stay in touch a whole lot more than that. I love my little, first and only, grandson Joey, but he lives 950 miles away. I am here in the Lowcountry, and he lives with my daughter and son-in-law in Chicago. I am determined, however, to always let him know how very much I care. It takes a little thought, a lot of creativity, and even more grandmother ingenuity.
I thank the higher powers for Skype, e-Mail, iPhone and the good old U.S. mail. In addition, I figured out how to become a frequent flyer; I charge everything on a specific credit card. This has afforded me the opportunity to go to Chicago three times over the last year, at a reduced fee. I also enjoy sending cards and small gifts. It's easy to get fancy and fun by making your own cards, using stickers, markers and festive glitter. I often spray the envelope with my signature scent so Joey can associate it when I come to visit.
Books are a wonderful way to connect. Amazingly, lovely stories, which can be read aloud and features your own, recorded voice, are now available for purchase. I like to personalize it by saying Joey's name here and there. Another option is to record your own voice on a CD, singing popular songs, catchy traditional tunes, or nursery rhymes. One of my future projects includes writing poems and short stories, individualizing them to include Joey's favorite things.
It is true that a picture says a thousand words. That's why it's important to take a menagerie of pictures, especially of the two of you (or more), every time you have the opportunity to visit. Then, a picture collage can be made, laminated and turned into placemats for all to enjoy-what a terrific gift for all of your family members for holidays and birthdays. Monthly wall calendars, mouse pads-all kinds of products-can be personalized with photos.
Another good idea is to create a photo album featuring your own family of origin, including your grandparents. Those old black and white photos hold a treasure trove of history and glimpses of your unique family tree, to which your little one now belongs. It's easy to assemble a photo album with pictures of yourself (and grandpa), providing your grandchild visual images of what's going on in your world. I like to include pictures of the Lowcountry, my friends, my daily routines and experiences.
There is a website that offers many ideas for long-distance grandparenting called Grandparenting From A Distance- www.fambooks.com/grandparenting.htm. I also subscribe to Today's Grandparent Magazine. It is a good resource to keep up with current parenting trends and styles, which can vary a great deal from the way most of us raised children.
Whether near or far, being a grandparent is truly a special relationship. The physical distance really doesn't matter. From across the street or across the country, it is possible to create memories and experiences that will last a lifetime. After all, the amazing power of love has no bounds. It's just a matter of how you want to express it.
Lee Pandolfe is a semi-retired Child and Family Therapist from Connecticut. Her daughter Lauren is an Emergency Room Doctor, Northwestern Memorial, Chicago. Her daughter Anne is an Account Executive with Travelers Insurance in Boston. Her grandson Joey is one-year-old.