Taking a a trip with he/she sounds like a great idea – unless it isn’t.
I’m a believer in starting small with grand kids, just the way they start small and get bigger.
For example:
Have you spent a whole day with your grandchild? Has he done an overnight before? With you? If yes, how did it go? If no, that’s the first step before a trip.
Once you’ve decided to go for it, you might want to improve the likelihood of a successful excursion by:
- Taking along a “goody” box as my kids called it – a portable item that he/she can carry himself - filled with small special items that he especially likes (little cars, dolls, a little Lego's, a deck of cards).
- Remembering that you can leave the circus before the final act, and can leave the beach before sunset. You get the drift? This is not an endurance test.
- Tell him he can call home at any time, and I mean any time. Make sure his parents agree to that option before a homesick little boy needs to wake them at 3:00 a.m.
This is about getting to know and enjoy each other in a different and special way, not about completing a “the best trip ever” check list!
Have fun and let me know how it goes.
Barbara Feinberg LISW, IMFT is a life coach and psychotherapist. She is the doting grandmother of two grandsons. You can reach her through her email at barbaraf@macaronikid.com.
