“What children need most are the essentials that grandparents provide in abundance. They give unconditional love, kindness, patience, humor, comfort, lessons in life and, most importantly, cookies.”
That quote by former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani characterizes what grandmas and grandpas freely give to their children’s offspring. They do so in ever increasing numbers because baby boomers now dominate the grandparent demographic.
The term baby boomers refers to the sudden and substantial increase in the birthrate of Americans born post-WWII between the years of 1945 and 1964. In 1946 the birth rate increased by nearly six percent, and by 1954 the annual birth rate topped 4 million and did not drop below that figure until 1965.
The first baby boomers turn 67 in 2013 and many of them are already grandparents with more than one grandchild.
Consequently, because of the baby boom phenomenon, an increased number of grandparents substitute for working parents throughout the year and especially so during the summer months.
“Grandparents provide love unconditionally while working parents sometimes are too busy and too frazzled to do so,” said Ann Hughes of Buffalo, the grandmother of an almost three-year-old grandson.
What fun and educational things shall I do with my grandchildren during my time with them?
Go biking – Ride bicycles with grandchildren in the neighborhood, at the park or on local bike trails. Biking is a simple and fun way for you and your grandchildren to physically exercise your bodies while enjoying each other’s company [See “Your child’s first bike,” p.14].
Visit the zoo, museum – Take the grandchildren to the local zoo and museums. Visit such the Henson-Robinson Zoo and the Illinois State Museum in Springfield, Chicago’s Brookfield Zoo, the Museum of Science and Industry and the Field Museum in Chicago, plus the St. Louis Zoo and the St. Louis Science Center.
Read books together – Teach grandchildren to love reading by reading to them, reading with them and letting them read to you. Together learn about some of the best children books via the public library, which also offers summer activities especially for children.
Patricia Davis of Springfield, who has seven grandchildren, and Ann Hughes agree that reading is a nurturing way to teach and share knowledge with grandchildren. Davis added that she reads with some of her grandchildren via Skype. “We read one chapter per week, and I review the chapter with them while answering and asking questions. It’s very educational and a nice way to bond with them even when they are not with me,” she says.
Enjoy a concert or play – See a musical at The Muni, an outdoor amphitheater in Springfield, where four productions are being presented this summer. These and other plays plus various concerts, which offer both enjoyable and educational values, are a hit with all generations.
Teach a hobby – Provide grandchildren with instructions for cooking, sewing, jewelry making, photography, gardening, drawing, painting, dancing or any other nurturing, beneficial hobbies. They just might learn a skill that will develop into a career.
Investigate Lincoln and other historical sites – Allow grandchildren to experience history interactively by taking them to the Lincoln tomb, the Lincoln home, and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. Also make it a habit to visit historical sites in other states when the grandchildren are a part of your traveling entourage.
Attend a baseball game – Let grandchildren have a fun time and bond with grandparents while cheering for the Springfield Sliders, the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs or White Sox teams during home games. Go equipped with facts about the team and players past and present.
Ride the train – Take the grandchildren on a train ride to Chicago or St. Louis or various cities in between, making sure to spend some time in the dining car or snack area
See a drive-in movie – Help your grandchildren experience the thrill of seeing a movie at a drive-in theater. Only a small number of these outdoor picture shows remain in Illinois, compared to 120 such theaters present during the late 1950s. They may soon become extinct. The Route 66 Drive-In Theater in Springfield offers double features nightly during its months of operation.
Explore a u-pick farm – Enjoy the thrill of picking fresh fruit and maybe some vegetables too at Illinois farms such as Jefferies Orchard in Springfield, Eckert’s in Belleville and Tammen Treeberry Farm in Wilmington.
Plan a picnic – Let the grandchildren make the menu, select the place and prepare the food for a picnic while the grandparents oversee each task.
Play board games and cards – Teach your grandchildren how to play Checkers, Chess and Scrabble. These are just a few of the fun, challenging games that help to enhance brain power. Try the electronic versions, too.
LaVern McNeese of Springfield is a busy grandmother with three grandchildren, Zakiya, 14, Vincent, 12 and Makari, 10. Together they enjoy enjoy cooking, writing, playing board games, listening and dancing to oldies-but-goodies songs, reading and biking.
This article appears in Capital City Parent July 2013.
