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Long distance grandparents wordle

Happy Mother’s Day Catch Up

Happy Mother’s Day! Today is for you, whether you’re a mother, a mother-in-law, a grandmother or reuniting with a mom whom you haven’t seen since before COVID. Or, maybe you are remembering a mother? Perhaps you’re also  enjoying watching a new mom fall in love with her new baby or passing wisdom to a growing child? However you celebrate Mother’s Day, I hope you enjoy savoring old memories and making new ones.

Many generations for Mother's Day

Whether it’s FaceTime, landline or snail mail: CALL A MOM !  And, if you feel so inclined, check out these links and consider donating to a charity of your choice to help mom’s in India:  Help India During COVID.

Catching Up

So, it’s been a while since Dawn and I have posted. Well, you could say that Dawn and I have had a bit of COVID fatigue.  And, ahem….we’ve been a bit preoccupied. First, getting vaccinated yay!!  Then, helping to make sure that our families got vaccines as quickly as permitted. That was a LOT of late night internet juggling. Can you relate?

Mothers Near & Far

Coincidentally, since our last post, Dawn and I have each welcomed a new grandson. Our latest little guy is named for my dad/Zaydie and northern DIL’s Grammie. This tradition of naming a child for a cherished family member is yet another way to link generations into the future. Passing on these names is also a wonderful way to celebrate lives lived. Truly, this is a way to honor “their memories as blessings”. Many, many blessings.

New Long Distance Grandparents Facebook Page!

While our kids were pregnant with expectations, chasing after toddlers and getting vaccinated, Dawn and I were asked to moderate a long-distance grandparents social media site. Currently, this FB community includes close to 500 long distance grandparents from around the world. We have been thinking of and planning ways to link Smiles Beyond Miles with that spirited group. At the same time, we want to provide options for the ways you like to connect.
For a sample of how Long Distance Grandparents Facebook group benefits from connecting with other long distance grandparents facing similar challenges and joys, check out this wordle:
Long distance grandparents wordle
For more info, search Facebook for Long Distance Grandparents and request to join. This is a monitored, private group so you’ll need to answer a few questions. There, you’ll also find more ideas for connecting with grands remotely, art projects from Dawn and fun stories (emotional ones, too) posted by long distance grandparents from Australia to the Netherlands and across the US.

Stay Tuned…

Meanwhile, stay tuned for a new look for our Smiles Beyond Miles blog. As Dawn and I always learn from this blog adventure… delivering content and building our community in creative and efficient ways is a work in progress! Look forward to hearing how you connected on Mother’s Day and every day.
  Cheers and happy connecting to all you mom’s and mom-supporters
Smiles Beyond Miles: Long-Distance Grandparents- To Go or Not to Go to Grandkids

To Go or Not To Go: Visiting Grands

Like many of you, we have yet to meet our adorable 6-month-old grandchild. I’m obsessed with figuring out the best time to visit him and all our kids and grandkids. Up north. Down south.  Throughout the day, travel questions run through my mind…. Should we rent an RV or fly? To go or not to go visit grands seems to be the question many long-distance grandparents are thinking about.  We want to see these kids, touch their chunky cheeks. Not just on FaceTime!

In July, since it was a reasonable drive, I decided to visit our northern kids and grandkids. Yes, there were many deliberations. In the days before the trip, worries kept popping up. Who am I putting at risk with my visit?  Should I bring my own towels and linens? (I did). Truthfully, once I arrived, the anxiety melted away. As you can imagine, we enjoyed every moment.

In this week’s post, I’ll share travel tips during COVID-19, how I made my decision to do this road trip, and links to advice and other long distance family experiences. Clearly, I am not the only one contemplating visits to long distance grands during COVID-19! Read more

Smiles Beyond Miles Long Distance Grandparenting Welocme Post

WELCOME TO SMILES BEYOND MILES

We’re delighted you’ve found us! When you stop by Smiles Beyond Miles (SBM), you’ll find ideas to help you connect with your long distance grandchild. As time goes on, we hope you’ll get to know us better. We’d also like to get to know you, too. So, if there’s a SBM post that speaks to you, click on the post title.  The comment area is on that page.

We’re looking forward to hearing from you!