Dear Friends,
I have the great pleasure of introducing Dr. Mary Manz Simon. She is a grandma to five grands. Recently she released a new book titled Faith Footprints with My Grandchild. If you would like to be eligible to get a free book from Dr. Mary please leave a comment in the comment section with your ideas on how to be an effective grandparent.
Blessings to all!
Lori
"Am I a good grandmother?"
If you ask that question after you've handed your
grandchild an ice cream cone, the answer will be a resounding,
"Yes." But you might get a
totally different response if you’ve just told your grand, “No texting during
dinner!”
"Am I a good grandparent?" is also a question
we might ask ourselves.
Here are three elements shared by
grandparents who make a difference:
Effective grandparents connect.
Our
grandchildren are digital natives in a world defined by clicks, beeps and
tweets. Using the tech gadgets so
familiar to our grands can be engaging for us, too. Playing an online game is an easy way to shrink
the miles with an older child. Our five
year old grandson, who was born in a dirt floor hut in rural Ethiopia, likes to
Skype.
But expand connections beyond tech. Every child likes to receive mail – the type
delivered by the US Postal Service. Send
postcards, not only when you travel, but of places you’ve visited with your
grandchildren. If you go to the zoo this
summer, buy postcards of their favorite animal to mail next winter. It’s a great way to visually connect without
a screen.
Keep track of your grand’s schedule. My daughter forwards the online weekly school
bulletins. A couple weeks ago, I knew
that Nate and Josh would need extra prayer cover as they went through the
rigors of academic testing. Knowing what
grandchildren are doing builds in relevant reasons to connect. Your grand will
remember if you phone to pray with him on the morning of a piano recital or big
game.
Effective grandparents give from the heart
Grandchildren need our time and attention, our lap and
our love. For a child, time equals love.
My sister, Dorothy provides before and after school care
for twin granddaughters. Does that mean she
is a better grandma than I? Not necessarily. She lives ten minutes away from her grands;
mine live halfway across the country.
Geography, age (ours and our grands!) and finances might impact our
style, but do not necessarily limit our effectiveness.
Effective grandparents prioritize.
Occasionally, we are so busy doing things with our grands, we don't spend time thinking about
what we’re doing.
Although many grandparents gift
their family with a genealogical tree, fewer write an ethical will or share a
“Christian life review.” Years before
her death, my mother-in-law prepared a preamble that was shared read for the
family before her legal will. The words
about her faith in Jesus Christ resonated across the generations after her funeral. Some grandparents prepare a spiritual
will. Christian life mapping can reveal
to future generations how God fulfilled His promise to “bless you with a future
filled with hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11, CEV)
Whether or not you work through such tasks, merely thinking and praying
how God is using us gives a clear direction to the time with spend with
grandchildren.
Whenever our grands observe us dealing with the plumber
or waiting at the store, they observe our Christian lifestyle. We leave values
long before we leave valuables.
What faith footprints will you leave today?©Dr. Mary Manz Simon
Dr.
Mary Manz Simon has been a thought leader in the Christian marketplace for
nearly 30 years. She holds bachelor’s,
master’s and doctoral degrees in education.
An award-winning author, her books have sold more than three million
copies and are in ten languages. She and
her husband, Hank, a Lutheran pastor, have been married for more than 40
years. They have three adult children
and five grandsons. Website: www.Marymanzsimon.com
