"Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their parents."
~Proverbs 17: 6
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This is a great reminder for us all to learn from your experiences and to always want the best for our own children someday.
**Moms who are in the trenches right now** - read and take note for your own kids/grandkids someday.
**Current grandparents** - read and take note on how you can best help your own son/daughter right NOW.
(also tying this in with 7 Quick Takes, since this includes 7 tips for my future-grandparent-self)
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Right now my husband and I are in the trenches of raising a young family. We have all the busyness that goes along with that. Some of the kids are of school age. Some of the kids are too young for school. Some kids do soccer. Some do baseball. Some do swim lessons. Some dance. You get the idea.....we are a busy family. Running here, running there, trying to have suppers together as a family, trying to keep our Domestic Church thriving. So, I'm writing a note to YOU, my dearest future self. I'm helping you from here, the distant past, to help yourself. How thoughtful of me, huh?! Remember when you were raising a young family? When life didn't revolve around just moving YOURSELF around. Remember when you had to buckle many precious lives into the car BESIDES yourself? So please hear this advice just for you my dear grandparent self ..... 1. Come over. It's harder to move a large family of many members compared to moving 1 person. AND don't always wait for that formal invitation. It may not come. You have to just ask, hey, can I come over? 2. Kind of like number 1. Come over and pick a child up and spend some time with them. It's tough to get everyone in the car to drop a child off at your house. Moving you, 1 person, is easy peasy. Just come over and pick up a kid. Spend time with them. This time doesn't have to be extravagant. Just be! Create memories! How else are you going to get to know these wonderful grandkids of yours if you aren't willing to spend time with them! 3. A trusted babysitter is priceless. Offer to babysit for date nights and even for vacations. Remember how much it costs to pay a babysitter to watch many many children? AND grab a movie AND dinner? Yeah, date night doesn't happen very often for us when my husband and I desperately need a night away. 4. When a new baby is born and you want to cuddle that new precious soul, ALWAYS come bearing food and gifts. You may not always be welcome.....BUT when offering gifts of food or toys, it's hard to turn you away. 5. Oh, this also goes along with number 4. Call or text before you come over. It's just a small common courtesy. It's nice to be presentable and have my teeth brushed. It's not hard. It just says, I respect your time too. 6. Remember when all the kids were home and you tried to do your best and be fair? You didn't take one child that you favored to Disney world while you left the rest home. Right? So, this goes along with grandkids too. BE FAIR! What you do for one, make sure you do for another. You may have favorites. But soon enough THEY will know and sense that. These grandkids of yours are smart. If you take one shopping, by golly, make sure you take another shopping (or hiking, or swimming, or out for ice cream) the next time. 7. And last but not least my dear future grandparent self.....ASK how you could be better. Ask these precious children of yours, who are now parents, what YOU can do to be a better grandparent. What do THEY want you to do? They and their children and their children's children will be the ones visiting you in the nursing home.....or not. It's up to you.....
*******************************************************************************Feel free to head on over to see some more "7 Quick Takes" by clicking the image below....
