VOA Alaska’s Kinship Family Program supports all types of families raising relative children. Many of them are caregivers for their grandchildren. It is so important to recognize and celebrate grandparents who not only raised their own children but have now stepped up to raise another generation.
Despite the important role they serve in the family structure, 77% of grandparents believe they are seen in an outdated way. We believe differently. We know grandparents are a wealth of knowledge and experience, so we are spending this week celebrating all the loving and committed grandparents in our Kinship program. They are truly grand!
Grandparents Day was created in 1979 when President Jimmy Carter declared the Sunday after Labor Day a day to celebrate the wonderful gifts and support grandparents bring to their families.
Here are some ideas of how to celebrate the grandparents in your life this year:
- Spend time safely with your grandparents. Sometimes we forget to how important and special our they are, and they would love a phone call or a video chat. Remember that our grandparents are often in the high-risk category for COVID-19, so always find ways to connect that keeps them safe and healthy!
- Enjoy a hobby together, even sharing a hobby virtually can be helpful and enlightening. Utilize their wonderful knowledge and experience, give them a space and time to tell you stories you may not have heard before, ask them about their childhood or favorite memory growing up.
- Bring them dinner or a warm meal. At this time it can be very difficult for older people to leave their homes safely, bringing a meal and dropping it off for them can bring them so much joy!
- Send them a letter or note, with the current state of the pandemic some older people are feeling very alone and even a note or small gift can remind them that you are thinking of them and missing them.
- Post pictures of your grandparents or if you are a grandparent, post pictures of you and your grandchildren on social media. Use #LOVEISGRAND to connect with others sharing love for the grandparents this week.
