Embrace your extraordinary sauce
BY MARY KAY MORRISON
Each grandparent will devise their own special recipe for bringing the gift of laughter into their grandchild’s life. Embrace that unique sauce! Treasure each opportunity for nurturing that relationship and making a significant impact in their life.
In order to provide optimal care for your grandchild it is essential to take care of you! Maximize the joyful magic of this new journey with self-care. Balancing expectations and new challenges can be both exhilarating and exhausting. Your health is a vital aspect of spending quality time with your grandchild. Carefully consider your energy, interests, and capabilities.
- Maximize Fitness: If you are not working out, today is a good time to start! You will be able to do more activities with your grandchild if you are fit. Simple weightlifting and a cardio routine are highly recommended. If you are not already working out, get going! You are not too old, and it is never too late.
- Maximize Time: Look at your current schedule for any adjustments that you might want to make to include time with your grands including travel for long-distance trips Plan ahead for visits to your house. I find it helpful to have numerous “surprises” ready. Give them a list of choices of activities. One idea is to write some ideas on slips of paper and have them draw these (one at a time) out of your “Surprise Jar.”
- Choose an art project (have some supplies on hand-crayon. paste and colored construction paper)
- Play age-appropriate games. Be sure to give choices.
- Take a nature walk.
- Read their favorite book.
- Sing songs or dance to music.
- Feed birds-catch bugs.
- Prepare lunch: Have recipes and ingredients ready.
- Maximize healthy eating: Enjoy more blueberries, salmon, and chocolate (especially chocolate.) Not only good for you, but a powerful example for children. Not sure how well I am doing with modeling this. My teenage grandkids think that trail mix is M&M’s with obstacles.
- Maximize positivity: Begin a journal and record your grand journey. Look for the humor in everyday life and the ability to see funny! As you get older, you’ve got to stay positive. For instance, the other day, I fell down the stairs. Instead of getting upset, I thought, “Wow, That’s the fastest I’ve moved in years.” Find the Funny!
Creating a hot sauce
Hot means full of spicy energy and enthusiasm. Make your sauce as hot as possible by living life to the fullest. The definition of play (frolic) is to “jump for joy” or to “move about energetically!”
You are uniquely equipped to enrich your grandchild’s life with your own creative version of energized play. Play is integral to learning new skills at all ages. Incorporating playfulness into your relationship with your grandchild is a purposeful, stimulating, and splendid responsibility. It also brings great satisfaction. Don’t be afraid of being silly or looking ridiculous. Have courage! This is the perfect opportunity for you to try new adventures. Romp like you have springs in your legs-even if they are bionic. Somehow grandkids bring out the desire to frolic, even if it means you will challenge them to a race from your wheelchair. Of course, they need a “handicap” and will need to hop backward or even walk on their hands.
“Facing the tough stuff with a sense of humor is a powerful strategy for coping with life challenges.”
How do you find the laughter in your life? In my book, Using Humor to Maximize Learning, I defined the experience of vigorous, optimistic energy as humergy. Facing the tough stuff with a sense of humor is a powerful strategy for coping with life challenges. Laughter reduces stress and depression. An ability to find the funny in life will help provide your very own spicy ingredients to serve up for your grandchild. Of course, they will inspire you too!
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How will your grandchildren remember you? The loving support that comes from close relationships is vital for the optimal development of a child. Grandparents have a significant role in nurturing a humor being. Purposeful engagement in playful activities will generate lifelong memories. Play tickles the funny bone while nurturing physical strength, mental agility, and social skills. These interactions are vital not only for the growth and development of a child but are incredibly beneficial for adults as well. Grandparents can provide their own unique hot sauce to create an enduring Legacy of Laughter for generations to come.
Research reveals that play is the foundation for learning for all ages. Enhancing your own playful spirit by nurturing your hot sauce will be your unique legacy of laughter for your grandkids.
ctivities will generate lifelong memories. Play tickles the funny bone while nurturing physical strength, mental agility, and social skills. These interactions are vital not only for the growth and development of a child but are incredibly beneficial for adults as well. Grandparents can provide their own unique hot sauce to create an enduring Legacy of Laughter for generations to come.
Research reveals that play is the foundation for learning for all ages. Enhancing your own playful spirit by nurturing your hot sauce will be your unique legacy of laughter for your grandkids.
