Spend time with your grandkids- create a book file together

It's been said that grandchildren are God's way of compensating us for growing old. Actually, I don't feel old. I know I am, of course. I have only to look at the awe and amazement on the faces of my grandchildren when I admit that, growing up, we didn't have colour TV to realise that, yep, I'm pretty old. I don't like to even suggest that .. shock.. horror.. the internet didn't exist then, either.

No, I want to be more than just an item of curiosity for my grandkids. I want to be connected and involved in their lives, which is not that easy when the lives of today's families are so fast-paced and varied.

But, I've found it doesn't need to be too difficult or time-consuming to connect- it just takes a bit of planning. For example, my oldest granddaughter, like many girls, enjoys crafts. That's something that we can share and do together. And it doesn't need to be an expensive activity or require too much  time and skill.

Last week, we made a book file together. It was a great idea published in the August edition of Australian Better Homes and Gardens magazine- a project that can be completed in under an hour, takes no real skill and even fewer resources.

As you can see, the magazine's finished article looks very classy. We decided to make one that was a little more colourful for a young girl. So, instead of using a hardcover novel, we found an inexpensive hardcover book filled with beautiful colour photos of dogs. If you're making this yourself (and it's very easy), find a hardcover book with at least 270 pages.

Then, simply fold the first page over to meet the spine of the book. Press the folded page firmly. Repeat with each of the following pages of the book. And  that's it! Sure, you can add some tabs. You can purchase these from any stationery suppliers or even make your own. The completed file can store small items like stamps, paper clips, notes, pressed flowers, stickers... anything.

I've found that doing something like this with my grandkids, provides the perfect opportunity to ask questions, listen to them talk about their day and maybe even find out about their hopes, plans and concerns. And... the craft turned out pretty well, too. We've even had some requests for book files from others.

You might also be interested in:
10 things to do with your grandkids
Reading with your grandchildren



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