At Grandma's Place

Have you ever watched the look of intense concentration on the face of a child as they draw, paint or create a masterpiece of art? I often wonder what thoughts are going on behind that intensity. Yes, art is fun. Yes, young children enjoy getting messy with paint and feeling the textures of different media. I love watching them concentrate on a new paint texture and try out ways of using it or changing it. But it's so much more than just 'fun' for a child's education and development. Studies show that, through art, children learn to think creatively, to observe, describe, analyse and interpret. They learn to express feelings with and without words. They practice problem-solving skills, critical thinking,  and develop related language and vocabulary. It also develops confidence. So.. as a grandmother, I encourage my grandchildren to explore art and to create. It's a real thrill when one of them rushes up to say, "This is for you, Nan. I made it '...

Visits from your grandchildren should always be enjoyable, fun.. something that everyone looks forward to. But there may be times that the visit is unexpected. Or perhaps you have to care for them when they're feeling unwell. Or, at the last minute, you may need to travel with them. Be prepared! Create a bag full of fun and surprises for just such emergencies. First, you'll need a bright-coloured bag.. one that looks as though it's about to overflow with sunshine and laughter. It doesn't have to be too big but it's great if there are extra pockets inside to hide treasures and fun. Give your bag a name so that the grandkids will associate it with entertainment and excitement. You could just call it your 'Mystery Bag', 'Bag of Hidden Surprises' or even 'Rainbow Bag.' The main thing is to identify the bag with wonderful shared experiences and good times. Next, fill the bag with bright, appealing toys and objects that will delight you...

Recently, I discovered a creative idea to make your own small table tray using a photo-frame. It's not a large tray but perfect for decorating the tabletop or as a small tea tray. The idea was very simple but the end result looked really good. You can find the original idea in a post by Aimee Song here . She provides step-by-step instructions so it's well worth the time to read the entire post. And I've included an image of her completed design below. But the concept did make me wonder whether I could change it slightly to create an unique display of my family and, in particular, my grandchildren. Amy uses a photo-frame as the basis of her tray. She pops in a decorative paper and then attaches handles to the photo-frame. It looks really good. But, since the design uses a photo-frame, I wondered I could include some photos of my grandchildren instead of the decorative paper. My completed project is a little more rustic than Aimee's sophisticated version....

How uncomfortable are hiccups! And once you start, it's hard to stop.Yesterday, my grandson had them.. and, everyone was suggesting remedies. "They just won't stop!" he cried in frustration between hiccups. I suggested he try a spoonful of sugar. He laughed and said, "That's not going to work." I was pleased to note, though, that it did. So I checked, and a number of studies have shown that, yes, a spoonful of white sugar will stop hiccups in 95% of cases. Researchers haven't been able to figure out why the remedy works, but they think that 'the sugar may irritate the throat so that the nerve impulses that cause the hiccups are interrupted'. It's interesting to note that many of the simple, old remedies and solutions for common problems are being proven accurate. Maybe gran does know best. Have you come across any true 'old wives tales' recently? What about a nice hot bowl of home-made chicken soup when you're feelin...

I had been debating the purchase for some time. After all, it meshed perfectly with the typical image of a grandma, but did I really want that image? It turned out, I'd timed the purchase perfectly. As I staggered in with the over-sized box from Ikea, (yes, I know I'd vowed never again to attempt another flat pack from Ikea) I began to feel a little uncomfortable, almost unwell. Overtired, I expect. But as I stood back to admire the completed rocking chair, even the pleasure of realising that all the pieces did, indeed, fit could not dim the knowledge that yes, my grandkids had definitely shared their recent bout of gastro with me. I felt most unwell. One of the inevitable consequences of caring for grandchildren is the real likelihood of contracting their illnesses. I certainly made good use of that rocking chair as I recovered. C.S.Lewis once noted, 'Though I get no more tired now than I did when I was younger, I take much longer to get un-tired afterwards.' ...

Grandparents of today are a different breed. Gone is the image of the little old grandma seated in a rocking chair on the front porch quietly knitting and watching the world go by. I was reading some interesting statistics about today's grandparents. 75% of those who are grandparents are online. 70% will use search engines to locate information. 63% regularly make purchases online. 46% bank online. 45% are on social media. The information didn't actually list any details about iPad usage but I've read elsewhere that 45% have downloaded 10 or more apps in a year. I know that my iPad is an integral part of my life. I'm rarely without it and it's not just to provide apps to entertain the grandkids, though I have different apps for the different ages of my grandchildren. So, I was questioning just what apps are worthwhile for grandparents today, for the Baby Boomers. The difficulty of course is that there are so many. For almost every situation you can imagi...

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...