Parenting tips: Celebrating grandparents

Grandparents play a unique role in children's lives and offer wonderful opportunities to nurture, support, and build lasting connections with kids.

As we celebrate Grandparents Day on October 27, the Triple P – Positive Parenting Program is highlighting the positive part grandparents play in the lives of their families.

Being a grandparent can be an amazing and life-changing experience. Yet it is important to remember that being a grandparent is quite different and may require new skills as you deal with changing relationships, different parenting styles, and issues you did not have to face when your kids were growing up.

The good news is that by embracing your roles and responsibilities, you can have a positive impact on the family dynamic and help build strong, meaningful bonds that can last a lifetime.

Triple P's top tips for building ‘grand’ connections:

• Trust your parenting journey – you've been there! Your wisdom, experience, and love are invaluable, and there's always room to grow and learn.

• Spending quality time with your grandkids can be incredibly rewarding, help build a connection, and allow you to be actively involved in their lives. The little moments like reading together, playing games, or listening and talking can mean the most. If you live far away, consider using video calls or social media to enable this.

• Share your life experiences and stories with your grandchildren. This can be through anecdotes about their parents when they were younger or lessons you’ve learned over the years. This helps kids understand family history and gain valuable life lessons.

• Show a genuine interest in what your grandchildren have to say. Listen without interrupting, look at them while they speak, ask questions, and build on what they have to say – this will let them know they're important and loved.

• Communicate openly with your adult children, seek to understand their parenting style, and respect their boundaries (while creating your own). It may sometimes feel like a balancing act, but this way, life becomes easier and better for everyone in the family when expectations and feelings have been communicated in a judgement-free way.
  

Triple P’s free online programs help anyone in a parenting role to feel more confident in their skills. Lots of grandparents do the programs, and you can find out more at triplep-parenting.net.au