Spending time with grandkids is often limited to a few days or hours and with their parents on hand or nearby. Travel with grandkids, however, can be a whole new experience for everyone, and one that can make the grandparent/grandchild relationship stronger, build mutual respect, create memories and much more. If travel with grandkids sounds intriguing, take a look at what it has to offer everyone.
Travel with grandkids builds stronger relationships
It’s hard to really know someone you only spend time with occasionally, and that is especially true of grandkids. One minute they’re infants and toddlers and then suddenly they’re off to college! Rather than miss those years of change and growth, making a point to travel with grandkids can help grandparents forge their own special ties, create friendships, form emotional bonds, and bridge the generation gap. Travel with grandkids can also help children feel at ease even when mom and dad aren’t there, further building a trusting relationship. Researchers call this “intergenerational solidarity” something that is explained in the verywellfamily.com article, “6 Factors of Grandparent-Grandchild Closeness.”
Travel with grandkids creates memories
Family memories are often old stories told and retold at the holidays or other special events and passed down from one generation to the next. But travel with grandkids can actually help grandparents and grandkids create their own new memories to be shared going forward. Obviously travel with grandkids will be full of fun and new things to do and see, but there will also be surprises that will occur, making even more wonderful memories than planned. For example, a walk on the beach may reveal a pod of whales breaching offshore, or a Major League Baseball game might include a record-setting homer no one saw coming. Life is full of surprises and travel with grandkids is sure to be no exception! Learn more ways to make memories during travel with grandkids in the thetravel.com article, “10 Ways To Make Memories While Traveling With Family.”
Travel with grandkids lets you explore and share passions
Getting to know grandkids means finding out their passions and interests and sharing yours. Adult interests run the gamut from history to science to the arts and beyond and grandkids, even young ones, often are developing their own preferences as well. It may be something as simple as looking for pretty shells or stones, hiking through the woods in a park, or seeing famous places like Times Square, the Grand Canyon, or Niagara Falls and grandkids are often thrilled to find out a grandparent would love to experience the same thing with them. Rather than try to orchestrate travel with grandkids that is educational from an adult perspective, be sure to ask grandkids what really interests them so everyone has something they are excited about to anticipate, explore and share. For a look at some of the possibilities, the worldnormads.com article, “How Travel Can Help Fuel Your Child’s Passions.”
Travel with grandkids reduces ageism
It’s universally true that young people often view their grandparents as old or even very old. But travel with grandkids offers the chance to show them that while seniors are older than them and their parents, that doesn’t mean they are feeble and fragile. Instead, travel with grandkids can actually prove seniors are anything but. By showing grandkids their active and energetic side, grandparents can help change the stereotypes, prejudices and discrimination around aging and help grandkids understand that older really can mean wiser and that grandparents are a treasure trove of knowledge, inspiration and of course, love. To better understand ageism, check out the verywellmind.com article, “What Is Ageism?”
Travel tip: plan together
Travel with grandkids should be a trip based on the input of everyone involved. Although grandparents often have preconceived notions of where grandkids would like to go, keep in mind that grandkids may have some pretty good ideas of their own. Rather than just tell them the destination, ask them to share where they would love to go and why. Maybe it’s a place they remember from a movie or book, or even just an idea like a warm place with a beach. Not only will including grandkids in the planning help ensure everyone is happy, it will also allow grandparents to begin to see their grandchildren as the little individuals they really are. For more tips on planning travel with grandkids, check out the tripsavvy.com article, “Raising a Young Traveler: Why Your Child Should Help Plan the Next Family Trip.”
To make the most of travel with grandkids, Sonrisa Senior Living promotes an active and vibrant lifestyle that keeps residents at the top of their game. To learn more, download our “Active Adult Decision Guide” then contact us today find out all we have to offer!
