Senior woman sitting on a couch talking with grandchild on laptop screen

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Ways to Keep Connected With Grandkids

As recent developments have shown, staying connected is important for everyone’s health and wellbeing. But if you can’t see your loved ones as much as you’d like and are wondering how to connect with your grandchildren, the answer may be as close as your smartphone. 

At The Glebe, we believe being socially engaged is an important part of a fulfilling lifestyle. We understand that today’s technology allows long-distance grandparents to have real-time contact that keeps everyone safe and involved. To help you close the gap, we’ve listed both high-tech and low-tech solutions for connecting with loved ones.

High-tech ideas

With weird names that don’t make a lot of sense and the seemingly never-ending stream of updates and changes, technology, for seniors, can be scary.  Although FDR wasn’t talking about technology when he said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” the same thinking applies. Don’t let your fear of using technology keep you from trying it. The best way to keep up with technology is to start using it. And the best way to do that is by keeping in contact with those who matter most: your family.

Social media: Your grandkids are probably on Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok. These apps will let you know what’s going on in their lives, even if you don’t talk all the time. Ask them to add you as a “friend” so you can keep up with what’s going on. Who knows? You may even have fun posting videos and photos of your own.

Video chat: Using programs like Skype, Zoom, Facetime, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger  allows you to see and hear what’s going on with your family, friends and loved ones. You can talk about the day, have virtual dinner together or just catch up on family news. 

Online games: There are all kinds of online games you can play with your grandkids but it can be hard to know what to play. If you’re not sure, ask your grandkids or their parents for suggestions and then it’s game on. It’ll almost feel like you’re playing against each other in the same room.

Phone apps: There are lots of apps designed using technology to connect with grandparents and grandkids like Keepy, Kindoma, Redeo, Hoot and Quality Time Lab. These apps let you play games, draw, sing nursery rhymes and read together.  Other apps like Skype, ooVoo, and Voxer allow you to send photos and videos, talk and text in real time.

Movie night: With the streaming service Netflix, you can watch movies with others, no matter where you’re located, using Netflix Party. However, you’ll need a free browser extension and a Netflix subscription. Netflix also has group chat and synchronizes playback. It’s not quite the same as being in the same room, but it’s fun being able to use the chat and emoji features. You could also just use one of the above video apps to share a show.

Family history: Websites like Ancestry.com and MyHeritage.com are a great way for you to share your family’s history with your older grandkids. Who knows? Their parents may want to know more about where they came from.

Low-tech ideas

Not ready to explore all your technology options? We’ll show you how to connect with your grandchildren without strange sounding apps. 

Share books: With younger grandkids, if you make a habit of calling at bedtime, you can read them a bedtime story. With older grandchildren, you can ask them what they’re reading and get the same book. Then you can talk about the characters, plot, and guess what might happen next. 

Work together: Even though you may be living in different parts of the country, you can still work on a project together. It just takes a little creativity. Here are a few suggestions:

  • Drawing-a-day challenge – Figure out a time frame and then draw a picture a day that you can both share the next time you talk. 
  • Create a progressive story – Start by writing the first paragraph of a story and either upload it to Google doc or send it in an email. Share it with your grandkids to add a paragraph, and keep trading off until the story is finished.
  • Draw a progressive picture – Start a picture with just a couple of lines, and then send it to your grandkids to add to it. 
  • Garden together – Send your grandkids a packet of seeds and plant the same seeds at your house. That way you can report back to each other as the plants grow.

Box of surprises: Companies offer subscription boxes catering to a wide variety of interests. Some options to consider include: MEL Science, KiwiCo, CreationCrate, Raddish and OwlCrate Jr. You can either send your grandchildren something of interest to you to give them insight into your hobbies. Or you can send something that interests them. Whichever you decide, opening it together over video chat is a great way to create memories. And because a new box arrives every month, it gives all of you something to look forward to. 

Staying connected.

We believe being socially engaged is an important part of a fulfilling lifestyle, which means not only staying connected with your current circle of family and friends but also forming new friendships. If you’re looking for a community in every sense of the word, maybe it’s time to check us out. To learn more about The Glebe, contact us here.