Today with all the wonderful technology, there is no reason why long-distance grandparents need to be out of the loop. Children can bond with grandparents long distance if you make them part of your daily life using the technology available. Don’t think that Granny can’t learn new technology – dangle more time with grandkids in her way and she will learn. And, most grandparents today are actually pretty tech savvy. After all, the internet has now been here as we know it for more than 20 years.
Here are some great bonding tips for keeping the relationship close in spite of the distance.
* Read Stories – Send your kids an iPad, then use the technology such as Facetime, Skype, Facebook or Zoom.us to connect with sound and picture to your grandchild live at story time. Try to do it at least weekly. They can watch you read to them and talk to you and ask questions, almost as if you’re there. As they get older, they won’t even need their parents’ help.
* Do a Project Together – Using the same technology or even email or a special private Facebook group, work on projects together. You can teach your grandchild all sorts of things using this technology, from sewing to cooking. With a little help from mom and dad when they’re little, and then on their own as they get older, it’s a great way to stay connected and build that bond.
* Help with Homework – Are you good at a subject that you can tutor your grandchild with, such as math or science? Using technology such as private Facebook groups, Zoom.us conference technology and more, will enable you to work alongside your grandchild on almost any type of school work.
* Play Video Games – Today, many types of video games are interactive. This means you can play games alongside your grandchildren that you never thought possible. You can talk to each other and see each other during the games, making them even more fun and exciting to both of you.
* Share Recipes – Are you a good cook and the keeper of the family recipes? If so, the internet is a wonderful way to share these with your grandchild. You can set up a YouTube Live or even simply record yourself cooking a recipe and share it with your grandchild via email or your private Facebook group. It doesn’t even have to be live; it can also be asynchronous, allowing your grandchild to learn from you when they have free time.
* Write Letters – Don’t forget the good old-fashioned letter sent via email or snail mail. Both are much appreciated and great ways to stay in communication with your grandchildren as they age. Another thing to consider is texting technology. Currently, younger people prefer texting over other types of communication. If you want to really know what’s going on, you need to enter this arena. Remember, these are just new tools for communication; they’re not better or worse than what was before.
* Create a Family Photo Album – Today with technology, everyone takes a lot of pictures, but often they get lost. Create a family photo album using software like Dropbox.com. With Dropbox, you can pay a small monthly fee to get more storage and create one account for everyone to upload their images to, so that you can organize them.
* Schedule Get-Togethers – Even with technology it’s important to find a way to spend time together in person. Consider hosting or scheduling a trip to visit the kids. If you go visit them, consider staying in a hotel to make it less work for your kids. Several shorter visits throughout the year can make up for a lot of time.
Staying close when far apart is easier than ever before in history. If you need to get more confident with technology, check your local Apple store for classes on using the great technology available. Tell them that you want to learn how to use technology to communicate with your long-distance family. They’ll be happy to show you what you can do.
Are you a long-distance grandparent? How do you ensure your connection to your grandkids, long distance? Share by commenting below.
