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Grandmas and grandpas...opportunity knocks! Ideas during COVID
Post-COVID Recovery & COVID-19 | Last Active: Nov 16, 2020 | Replies (62)Comment receiving replies
Greetings again to all of the Grandmothers and Grandfathers. Are you already thinking about the holidays and remembering all the good times you have had with your grandchildren. They grow so fast. Unfortunately, this will not be the year to meet in person. We have spent a couple of weeks exploring options for physical contact and no matter how much we want to make arrangements, we just don't feel safe. Our two youngest live in Austin, Texas and we have decided that with the current rise in the COVID 19 spread, we will not want to risk infecting any of our family members. Our older ones have boyfriends now so it isn't easy to get their attention.
Do you have any ideas for how to have Thanksgiving and Christmas with little ones (1 and 3).......on a Zoom call. Would you like to share them with all of us? We need an activity that keeps their attention for more than 90 seconds.
Thanks......
Chris
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Hi Chris - We have been distance communicating with our littles for 6 months every winter, and found a few tricks.
- We had success with a book on Zoom last winter - we each had a copy and we read to them, complete with sound effects.
- We have used a puppet to talk to them, practiced making silly faces together, and danced to kid music.
- One day we gave them a tour of our yard, another we just watched them play in the yard while we talked to Mom & Dad.
- Another day, Mom & Dad called us while they played in the ball pit in their playroom and let us watch them in action while the adults chatted. A kid jumped in to visit every few minutes.
Sometimes it works, sometimes not, we just roll with it. Sometimes we text ahead for them to have their favorite toy or recent project ready to show us. Sometimes Mom calls with just one on her lap and in a mellow mood for a little one-on-one visit.
If you are looking for a gift idea, we give our littles a subscription to Kiwi Company boxes (kiwico.com) - for 3 yo it is a Koala Crate and comes monthly, each has a theme & 4-5 age appropriate projects to do at home. For the 1 yo it is a Panda Crate and comes every 2 months. It spreads the joy, gives parent a tool on rainy days. We give a 6 month subscription to each for birthday and Christmas, and just a token wrapped gift like a puzzle or truck. This year they will get play cooking utensils and dishes, and a simple homemade "stove" as pretend cooking entertains them both for hours.
We found the best time to be right after breakfast on a "boring day" - they are too crazy on the holidays or special days to settle down. We have just learned to adjust our expectations to their development level.
Sue