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affordable.
                                                                                            If you want to
                                                                                         share your family
                                                                                         history, memories,
                                                                                         and special thoughts,
                                                                                         start a scrapbook,
                                                                                         journal, or perhaps
                                                                                         a blog and update it
                                                                                         on a regular basis.
                                                                                         Design your own
                                                                                         method or purchase
                                                                                         one of the numerous
                                                                                         pre-designed books
                                                                                         with prompts such
                Remember when          quality long-distance    grandchild a glitter     as “Letters to My
              you could start a        relationships, which     bomb for a special       Grandchild.”
              conversation with        create life-long         achievement.  You may       One trend that is
              the grandparent          memories for you and     receive a handwritten    gaining popularity
              generation by            your grandchildren.      response.                among grandparents
              asking, “how many           Handwritten              For pre-school and    is setting up an email
              grandchildren do you     notes may seem           young grandchildren,     account for your
              have?”   That’s not      like Neanderthal         record one of your       grandchild to read
              the question these       communication to         favorite or their        when he or she reaches
              days.  Breaking the      your grandchildren,      favorite children’s      a specific age or life
              ice in the 21st century   and probably your       books. You can use a     achievement.  Send
              usually starts with      children as well, but    recording app on your  email messages to that
              “how far away do your  is there anything          smartphone and e-mail  account on a weekly or
              grandchildren live?”     better than receiving    the recording. You       monthly basis, or on
                As the world           a card, a letter, or a   can also read stories    special occasions or in
              gets smaller and         funny postcard in the    together via Skype       anticipation of special
              opportunities attract    mail?   Keep your        or Facetime. (several    events.  You may not
              the younger generation   messages simple and      help books and on-       be around when your
              to global careers,       entertaining, send an    line tutorials will walk   grandchild delivers
              grandchildren are        interactive, recordable  you through these        her first child, for
              living further and       greeting card, use       communication tools.)    example, but she will
              further away.  How       contemporary                Texting, Skyping,     understand how much
              frustrating not to be    commemorative            Facetime, Instagram,     you thought about her.
              able to enjoy those      postage, or go over      and regular phone           Use your
              first steps, first words   the top and send your   calls are easy and      imagination and start
              and follow athletic                                                        communicating as you
              endeavors up close              You may not be around when                 shorten the distance
              in person.  Thanks to        your grandchild delivers her first            between you and
              old-fashioned pen and          child, for example, but she will            your grandchildren.
              paper and modern                 understand how much you                   Meanwhile, keep your
              technology however,                   thought about her.                   fingers crossed that
              you can maintain                                                           they will move back
                                                                                         “home.”


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