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Author: Dawn

Smiles Beyond Miles: Long-Distance Grandkids: From Student to Teachers. Sample of artwork granddaugher instructed grandmother to draw.

Long-Distance Grandkids: From Student to Teacher

Growing up, my son thought it was hilarious when he did an impression of my expressive hand movements when I talk. I’d like to think that Charles Caleb Colton’s quote, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,” applied to his antics.  But, I’m not so sure that was his goal. Years later, however, I would be treated to an example of true-blue flattery from my son’s very own daughter! Through imitation, my long-distance grandchild transformed herself from student to teacher. And it’s hard to get more flattering than that!

It all began in the weeks just before COVID19 brought traveling to a full stop.  I was so lucky to get to visit my son and his family. During our visit, my granddaughter and I went to a local coffee shop together. What a special treat it was for both of us! Over tea and a little nosh (snack), I taught her some of the basics of Zentangle®, a meditative art form I teach. I taught her things  like how to draw slowly in simple patterns, and a few ways to play with shapes. We had a wonderful time and she seemed so proud of everything she drew.

Long-DIstance Grandkid: From Student to Teacher

When I returned home, I continued to teach her during our video chats. She paid close attention as I drew, and with pencil in hand carefully followed each direction I gave. Read more

Smiles Beyond Miles: Finding Special Moments Beyond the Miles. Abstract photo illustrating the love at the heart of the connection.

BEYOND THE MILES: SPECIAL MOMENTS WITH LONG-DISTANCE GRANDKIDS

Being a long-distance grandparent, I cherish the moments when I sense a new connection blossoming with my grandkids. These moments appear as sweet surprises and pop up out of nowhere during our regular video chats. In these wondrous moments, the miles between us seem to disappear and I feel the warmth and love of my grandchildren. Because this means so much to me, I began to wonder how other long-distance grandkids create special moments with their grandparents – beyond the long miles.

I decided to check it out with some family and friends. Read more

Wrapping Our Way to a Story

Did you know that a roll of ordinary gift wrap can open a world of possibilities for you and your long-distance grandkids? Join me now on a creative journey that begins with a quick glance and an idea. The result: wrapping our way to a story.

One afternoon at home, I happened to be looking around for something to do with my grands on our next video chat.  Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a roll of birthday wrapping paper with dogs in party hats. “Hmmm…”, I thought, “the grandkids love anything with dogs. Maybe we’ll have some fun with this.” We did, and you can, too!

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Smiles Beyond Miles| Long-Distance Grandparenting. Great Accessory for Long-Distance Video Chats. Photo of gooseneck mount arm and the phone it holds.

Great Accessory for Long-Distance Video Chats

As a devoted gadget lover, I’m always looking for the next best thing to make my life easier!  Recently, I was in hot pursuit of something to use for video chats with my long-distance grandkids. I already had a phone tripod that worked great for some of the things we did, but not others. For example, when we tried to play a board game, getting a view of the gameboard was a challenge. For my long-distance video chats to flow more naturally, I needed a flexible set up. So, it was love at first sight when I discovered my new favorite accessory for long-distance video chats, a phone holder gooseneck arm mount!

Using this Accessory for Long-distance Video Chats

The gooseneck arm can hold my phone in a variety of directions. Read more

Growing a Fairy Garden for Long-Distance Grandkids. Smiles Beyond Miles|Long-Distance Grandparenting. Photo of a fairy garden.

GROWING A FAIRY GARDEN FOR LONG-DISTANCE GRANDKIDS

There are few things as enchanting to both children and adults as a fairy garden. It’s a magical mix of fairy tale, doll house and nature, set in a miniature garden. Each person’s imagination guides the design. When I decided to create one, I knew that my long-distance grandkids wouldn’t be able to see it in person. But guess what? The magic translates well to the video chat screen. Both of my long-distance grandkids ask to see it each time we talk, giving commentary as the little fairy garden grows. And who wouldn’t be thrilled to hear a granddaughter describe my fledgling efforts as, “The Fairy Garden of Love”?

What I hadn’t anticipated when I started this all, though, was just how addictive this craft could be. So I’d like to give you a little heads-up along with a smile. With apologies to Emily Dickinson and other real poets, I share the following: Read more

Smiles Beyond Miles: Long-Distance Grandparenting Bloopers. Photo of puppet which turned out to be a blooper

LONG-DISTANCE GRANPARENTING BLOOPERS

We’re delighted to introduce the first in a continuing series of, “Long-Distance Grandparenting Bloopers.” That’s bloopers, with an “s”. Clearly, there’s more to come, so stay tuned!

And now for this week’s post. The reality is that for all our good intentions and preparation, there are just going to be times when things don’t go so well on video chats. In this case, it turned out to be quite a cliff hanger.

A little background – years ago I created and performed puppet shows with a few friends. Along with their pet dog, the puppet family (including grandparents) began their lives as socks. All were lovingly homemade. In addition, it should be noted that our shows at community centers were well received. I share this fact, because it’s highly relevant to this post’s blooper. Read more

Smiles Beyond Miles| Long Distance Grandparenting: Building Resilience in Long-Distance Grandkids, child's painting of a tree

BUILDING RESILIENCE IN LONG-DISTANCE GRANDKIDS

These days I’m reminded of a saying my mother loved to quote: “A tree that bends in the wind doesn’t break.” For my mother, the mark of living successfully was being resilient. Through the years, I came to understand her wisdom. As my children grew, I shared it with them. Now, as a grandparent, I want to help my long-distance grandkids build resilience, too. Because of the pandemic, it seems more important now than ever.

So what can we do to foster resilience? There isn’t just one answer.  It’s really a combination of actions.  I’m going to focus on the ones I thought we could do best from a distance. You’ll find the ideas below. Just remember – kids learn by doing, over and over again. As my yoga teacher says, “It’s a practice!” Read more

Smiles Beyond Miles: Long-Distance Granparenting, Gardening Virtually with Grandkids

GARDENING VIRTUALLY WITH GRANDKIDS

My friend Carol, a long-distance grandparent herself, is growing vegetables in her garden.* (Check out her fabric pots above). I caught that “grow-your-own food” bug, too.  Not in a big way, mind you. It’s more like a “dip your toe in the dirt” version. Still, I’m in awe of how each plant grows.  My grandkids get excited about this, too! While gardening virtually with my grandkids, I hope to help them discover new ways to appreciate the wonders of nature. With a long distance between us, my creativity is being put to the test!

There’s lots of information online about gardening with kids, so I’ve taken a different approach. Instead of trying out random activities, I focused on ideas that would hold a child’s screen interest. Most of the ideas below can work with the simplest of gardens: from pots on a windowsill to a large backyard garden. Your grandchild might also have a home garden. If so, then try some of these together! Read more

Smiles Beyond Miles- Reaching Out to Parents, helping stressed parents by watching grandkids.

REACHING OUT TO OUR GRANDKID’S PARENTS

As long-distance grandparents, we look forward to precious video chats with our grandkids.  In fact, we’d probably be thrilled to Facetime almost daily! But each video chat needs parents’ help to set things up.  These days, parent(s) are strapped for time and juggling more roles then ever.  So how can we connect with our grandkids, when their parents have such challenging schedules?  For one thing, we can try reaching out to our grandkids’ parents and start a conversation.

But before you call, think about how hard it was to raise kids. We know how demanding it can be. When parents talk, try to listen. Really listen. How could we ever have imagined what parenting would be like for them now? Read more

Smiles Beyond Miles The Magic in the Home through taking a home tour with grandkids

THE MAGIC STARTS AT HOME

Your home is a magical place. Believe it or not, it’s a wonderful world to explore.  No need to buy anything or do lots of planning. You already own plenty of stuff to share with your grandkids! So, how do I know that kids would enjoy a magical house tour? Because my granddaughter told me, of course!

Our first tour began during one of our video chats. All of sudden, my granddaughter noticed something on the wall. It was a colorful, framed print. She asked, ‘How did you get it? Who made it? What is it about?’  Before I knew it, we were walking around the house. With cell phone in hand, we made several stops. Some she chose, others were my suggestion. Along the way she was full of questions. All in all, it was a hoot!  Read more