First sunday after Labor Day has been declared as 'Grandparents Day' in the US.Strong willed individuals formulate new ideas and persist in making them realities. They figuratively move mountains and change courses of rivers to attain their goals. Such a strong willed woman was Ms. Marian Mcquade, a house wife in West Virginia who originated National Grandparents Day with prime motive to champion the cause of elderly people and persuade the grandchildren to tap the wisdom and heritage their grandparents could provide. 76 year old mother of 15, Grandmother of 40 and great Grandmother of 3, Ms. Marian cheers neglected and lonely patients in Hospitals. Mr. & Mrs. McQuade pay all Grandparents Day expenses, including printing and postage costs for an average of three packets a day sent to people who inquire about the observance. This promotional package included a personal letter, history of the event fact, suggested activities, day’s purposes, copy of ‘Beautitudes for the Friends of the Aged’ and family tree charts. However, it was President Jimmy Carter who proclaimed the observance of National Grandparents Day in 1978 on the first Sunday after Labor Day.
Some people had misimpression that Grandparents day originated as a florist promotion as flower Industry prepare for many request in September for Grandparents. Hall mark cards designed special Grandparents Day cards with permission of Ms.Macquade and offered her royalty which was denied by her. Grandparents day can be observed with demonstrations of talents such as cooking, sculpting, cooking or just family dancing, singing along together, ice cream parties, dinner or compiling of family trees, visiting old parents home or nursing home, etc.
On Grandparents Day, may all the grandparents pass on their wisdom, keep the harmony and build generations. What we miss today is more like the quote: "One who knows how to adjust is one who knows how to Survive" - Well, who are we to advice the elders and tell them, "Build the Family Tree - Be Better Grandparents" (Find article in Guardian of Angels). (Also find Conquer Anxiety )
But than it’s a time to make the real Difference. How to relish the unique role and be cherished. The today’s generation would need the Kidsfreesouls Tips in the coming years when they are grandparents : - ) The changing times have affected the changing lives. A story of a parents concern with their old father is touching and eye opening too. The parents decide to send away the old father and carried him in a basket to leave him to another place. The grand child see this and is quite understanding. He runs to his father and says " Bring the basket back because I will need the same for you " The parents realize their mistake. So, it is a concern for all generations to keep the relations alive and build the Family tree in cooperation.
What we need to remember when we get old is : LET THE GRAND KIDS THINK!!!!
Opportunities for promoting thought behaviour is the need of the hour as we communicate with children. Parents and Grandparents require to pay the attention to the communication levels as:
1. Tone of the voice. A tone that will produce more genuine response but not that is demanding, patronizing, condescending. Children who hear ‘ stupid ideas’ know better that they will never again expose their ideas in open. If children need to develop thoughtfulness, they need to develop the ideas themselves. Grandparents who invite and respect children's ideas will find that children are more willing to offer them. Treating grandchildren and what they say with respect establishes trust and opens lines of communication.
2.Be a good Listener. Don’t interrupt but take interest in what kids need to say and make sure that they know you are listening. They would learn the habit of listening too.
3. Warmth, respect, trust and genuineness are keys to productive talking with children. Keep the attitude of ‘Tell me…I want to know rather than say ‘ I know..You listen’
Television programs, commercials, toys, video games and books are well worth inviting children to think about. The key to such examination is knowing what and how to ask, and avoiding the kind of moralistic preaching that comes so easily to adult lips, and that discourages children from thinking for themselves. We open up unlimited possibilities for children to develop as thoughtful decision makers. By asking children to share their thoughts, we also discover, sometimes with amazement, that children have rich and compelling ideas that reach far beyond what we suspected they knew. Intelligent behavior does not grow through experience alone. It needs cultivation, through reflection on that experience. Kids who watch a movie won't automatically understand its messages; adults have to help them, with thoughtfully worded questions, to find the meanings. Because the world is so rife with choice, one of the most important skills we can teach our grandchildren is the ability to make wise decisions.
Hence, it is more a wise thing to ‘Let the Kids Think’ – Be a guide, not a commander. Teach kids ‘How to Think, not what to Think’. We need to learn this as we grow up as the new Gen-X will be Techno savvy Kids and we need to Change with the Change.
Btw, here's to give an Achievement Certificate to Grandparents in appreciation of their towering strength and being a 'Guiding light'.
And if you are a Grandparent, here are 10 things to Demand. And here are 25 Reasons kids love Grandparents. Btw, Here's Grandparents site that might interest you and watch a video too. I have been routinely visiting here since many years on this day. Here's my first learning site on Tripod where I still have my pages of Freesouls and on Grandparents Day. Enjoy!
Newspaper for Kids
No comments:
Post a Comment