Looking After Grandchildren
Posted: Wednesday, October 06, 2010
by Pat Donbavand
livinganactiveretirement
A child needs a grandparent, anybody's grandparent, to grow a little more securely into an unfamiliar world'. Charles and Ann Morse.
60% of grandparents in the UK provide some form of childcare for their grandchildren. If you are involved with looking after children on a regular basis we aim to help you, not only survive the experience, but to enjoy the priviledge.
If you know that you are having the children, plan the day. Look at the weather forecast and decide whether activities should be inside or outside. I know the forecasters don't always get it right, but usually it's fairly accurate the night before. Try and get a nice balance to the day with a relaxed time to play at home and an outing to add variety. Roughly plan the timing of the day in your own mind, but don't worry if things don't go exactly to plan! Be flexible and have a few extra ideas just in case you are desperate. If there are two of you, activities can be shared. Eg. Playing games with Gran, gardening with Granddad, going to the park with Gran and Granddad.
2. Activities At Home
Games and jigsaws. This is a great activity for grandparents to do with children. It costs little or no money, isn't messy, and most children love you to spend the time playing with them. Often busy parents just don't have the time to play endless games. Ask the parents to look through the children's toys and bring you all the games and jigsaws. Alternatively a visit to the local charity shop or car boot sale will usually provide you with some different games without breaking the bank. Announce that today is Games Morning', and include some action games like Hunt the thimble', Hokey Cokey or ball games in the garden, as well as board or card games.
Painting and Sticking.
Children love these activities. Grandparents often don't because they can be messy. Preparation is key. Decide what the activity is going to be, make sure you have got everything you need, protect your furniture and the children's clothes, then go for it!! Stay with them and praise their efforts, and at the first sign of boredom, terminate the activity. Glue sticks have made sticking much less messy, and making a scrapbook or collage can often be very enjoyable, and hold interest for quite a long time. Keep an old catalogue of children's toys great for cutting out and sticking.
Household chores.
Children often like to help with household chores. Things like sorting the washing, making the bed, gardening and cooking can all be suitable. It may take you a little longer to complete the jobs, but at least you get them done eventually and they are learning valuable skills and having fun at the same time.
TV, DVD's and CD's.
Most of us have resorted to these activities at times. They are great for giving a few minutes peace and quiet, an opportunity to glance at the newspaper or relax. If you have Sky or Cable there is a great selection of children's programmes. C Beebies and Nick Junior are my personal favourites (but obviously this depends on the age of the child). The secret is to be selective and limit the amount of tv, so that it is part of a well planned day and not the main focus of the day.
Computer Games.
As above great in moderation. Occasionally have a half hour session on the computer. Most of the children's tv programmes also have websites, many of which are educational as well as fun, and also teach mouse control and other IT skills essential for children growing up in today's society.
3. Going Out
If possible, get out for part of every day. It's a change of scene for them, and relieves the boredom for you. (There's only so many jigsaws you can do)
See the link below for a great website for suggesting places to go with children. If you have young children on the same day every week, join a local toddler group. You will be surprised how many other grandparents frequent these activities nowadays and it's good for you to have a chat and the children to meet other children of a similar age. Also mixing with young mums keeps you young, so that can't be a bad thing. Netmums lists lots of different local groups covering all ages and interests, so there is bound to be something suitable.
Local parks.
These are great for dry weather and free. Again Netmums will give you a list of local parks, some with comments by other Netmums users. Why not try a different one each week? The children will soon tell you which one they prefer. Take a ball and a picnic/ drink and you have a few hours of entertainment for nothing.
Indoor play areas.
These are all over the place nowadays and are good for bad weather. They usually consist of soft play areas, ball pools and sometimes organized games or craft sessions. They cost from about 3.50 5.00 per child depending on the time you go. At busy periods eg. Saturday they can be a bit frightening for very young children with so many older ones running round, but if you chose wisely and go at a quieter time they can be good fun. Trial and error will probably find the one best suited to your own grandchildren, but be prepared to go and rescue them if they get stuck!
4. Behaviour
Gran and Granddad's rules may be slightly different from home. For example Mum and Dad may allow painting in the lounge because they have an easy clean floor. You may have a cream carpet and not want painting in the lounge. Make sure the children know the boundaries. If they say Mum lets us', just say that's fine but Gran doesn't want you to do it at her house.' Before you go on an outing say clearly the behaviour you expect and be generous with your praise when they are good. Reward good behavior with stickers, hugs and most importantly telling their parents when they get back
Author - Pat Donbavand.
Pat Donbavand is a retired primary school teacher. She has been married to Roy for 34 years and has two adult children and one granddaughter. She is compiling her own website http://www.livinganactiveretirement.com
Netmums is a great website for suggesting places to go with children. http://www.netmums.co.uk
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