The Sage Connection

It’s about the time, now.

Posted

I’ve been receiving Grand Magazine, free, online for the past few years.

It’s filled with interesting articles about intergenerational activities, problems, and solutions.

In the fall issue, there was an excerpt from The Making of an Old Soul, a book by Carol Orsborn, Ph.D., that I found very interesting. It started me thinking about the changes we go through as we age.

I look at the energy my grandchildren with babies and toddlers enjoy and I remember when I had that much too. Now my little ones and I play more sedately.

Hide and seek, tag and other active games are played with younger grandparents. Baking cookies, tea parties, leaf decorating and rock painting is how I entertain these days.

But I have noticed other changes as well. Behaviors that once would have caused me concern or more, no longer seem like a big deal. And we talk, my little ones and I, about things I never got around to discussing much with my own children.

It no longer matters much if a little dust gathers on the furniture or the laundry gets folded the minute the dryer stops. I am older now, it’s true, but I am also no longer the single parent of four daughters working two jobs to keep a roof over our heads.

I have time. Time to listen. Time to watch. Time to just enjoy.

I think every generation of grandparents thinks their grandchildren are smarter, develop faster and are generally “quicker” than their own children were. Perhaps it’s possible we were just too tired, stressed and overworked to notice everything that took place.

When there are four voices chattering the minute their feet hit the floor in the morning, or when they arrive home from school it’s easy to miss things. My little ones today are just as excited as always when they arrive for a visit but there is only one -- or two at the most -- at a time and it makes a huge difference.

I have noticed other things too, about my children. They are all very involved with their childrens’ lives after they become parents.

Not to give parenting advice, mind you.
It is considered by many that it is nothing short of a miracle that they survived their childhood at all – without elbow and knee pads and helmets and other ‘must have’ padding required today…not to mention the advice from all the gurus who have the answer to every problem that could possibly arise during your child’s 25-year stay in your home.

Today’s grandparents seem to buy a lot more stuff than we did back in the day. Especially electronic things. Things that can keep youngsters up until all hours texting one another. Our kids and we used to read under the covers but today kids take communicating to new heights. Just not in person.

Now we have playdates – arrangements made with other parents to provide the little ones with a companion to play with, often while the parents visit with each other. Our kids came home from school, ate a snack, and ran back outside to play with the neighbors. Homework was done after dinner, for which they were always home in time to eat. One or two hours of television at most and then baths and beds.

Many, many changes have taken place since my own children were small, but one thing remains constant – the way my heart sings when the little ones rush in to say hello and tell me about the important things they did today.

Oh, and to look in their special “finding place” to see if a treat has magically appeared there. There is so much to learn from these little people – now that I have time to listen…

If you are interested in checking out Grand Magazine, go to  www.grandmagazine.com.

Orsborn blogs at www.carolorsborn.com

Other Blogs by Grandparents can be found at https://blog.feedspot.com/grandparent_blogs/

Kathleen Anderson writes this column each week from her home in Olympia.  Contact her at  kathleen@theJOLTnews.com or post your comment below. 

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here