Teens and Grandparents Tips
- Don't ever bribe your teen with gifts for visiting grandparents.
- Tell your kids stories about an ailing grandparent's life so that they get a feel for them as they used to be.
- With teens, the universe revolves around themselves and their friends. Grandparents can tap into this by asking about friends and keeping up.
- Grandparents should share what they were like as young adults and e-mail photos and stories of their own teenaged good times.
Bron P. 08/19/07
My father died a year ago and was sick for most of my kids’ life. My mother is now in a facility because she has Alzheimers. And though my wife’s parents are in better shape, they are old and it’s hard for them to relate to anything my three kids (11, 14 and 17) are doing. I just want to spare them because our visits are generally unpleasant, filled with awkward silence. I feel guilty that we don’t visit enough but then I feel guilty that my kids don’t have grandparents who can really be there for them.
Read more comments