Grandparents to Teenagers: connecting the dots across generations with seniors
Before a few more years slip by I would like my kids to get to know more about my parents, and their grandparents. They have so much history and life experiences even I haven’t heard yet. I would think they would love to share these tales of life and humor, yet on our family visits with my kids the conversations just seem a little superficial for the times we are in.
How do I get quality time with my parents
I want my kids to get a little of the flavor of the lives their elders lived. What were the details of their lives when they were young, what did they do for fun back then? I am now a thirty-something mother of two and asking this question for myself, not my kids: “How do I get more quality time with my parents?”
Well I’m smarter now about family dynamics. I needed a centerpiece and some topics we could all talk about regardless of age or generation. Enter Do Tell the Relationship game. It plays quickly, and once I get out the board out that special space for sharing now appears right at our family table – there’s even smiling faces gathered around ready to play the “Do and Tell” card questions.
Parents need to connect with their kids and grand kids
Getting my parents to talk, getting my kids to listen – who knew that the key to learning was fun subjects, topics and questions that everyone, regardless of age, was able to answer because the answers were really about themselves. And my parents talking about themselves is what I wanted to hear.
My kids now connect with their grandparents and even connect with me, their mom
The family visits go better now when I add in a spontaneous quick round of Do Tell. I feel more connected to everyone. As a mother I have to say I love this effortless way my parents are getting to know my teenagers even better – heaven knows how hard it is to pry information out of them. The real bonus is my children are getting more connected to the rest of the family. They see grandma and grandpa as the full personalities and people they really are. And the car ride home, listening to the kids laugh at what their grandparents said, also helps end my day on an up note.
So that’s it – I just wanted to share. Like Wow, what a concept – a Relationship game for the whole family – mom doesn’t have to do everything.