"You don't have to live
close to be close. Loving, thoughtful, imaginative
grandparents live in the hearts of their grandchildren." ~Selma Wassermann "The
Long Distance Grandmother"
ORDER
NOW!
As a webpage or e-mail attachment,
develop a "Grand Bulletin Board" (for grandparents and grandchildren).
This can be used to post online newspaper and magazine articles, photographs,
favorite cartoons and comic strips, upcoming events, etc. The board can
be cleared once a week- some of the material might then be discussed in
a "Grandletter".
Plan an ethnic cyber-night
together. Grandparents and grandchildren can contribute to a list of sites
that can be enjoyed on a particular night. Sites can include music, art,
costumes, language, a tour of the country, games, customs, etc.
Plan a family concert featuring
a different type of music each time. Try classical, jazz, country, opera,
etc. To find music on the Internet, search for (Type of Music) Midi Files.
Try
Make a family e-mail journal.
Record daily happenings- like first words, first experiences, first days
of school, etc.- as they happen. Very young children can be represented
by a picture or can dictate their stories to an adult. Ask every one to
make a SHORT entry everyday. If entries are short, it will be easier to
sustain the journal. Make sure all grandchildren get a copy of each other's
entries and file them in a "Journal" file.
Plan a Home Movie Night. Videotape
special events and send clips to each other to download. Make popcorn and
enjoy.
Have a No-Celebration Celebration-
e.g. Christmas in July, Silly Day, Dinosaur Day, Nobody's Birthday. Grandparents
and grandchildren can contribute to a list of sites to enjoy of the "non-special"
day!
By e-mail, send small daily
hints about holiday gifts. This increases the anticipation.
Do a Christmas countdown. Send
a blank December calendar to your grandchildren by e-mail. Then send them
a small Christmas icon to insert on the each day until Christmas. You can
use our blank December
Calendar and then look for icons at
Each year ask your grandchildren
to draw a picture of you and then e-mail it to you. Keep these pictures
on a special floppy disk. You will have a portrait history of yourself.
Tell you life story in small
personal episodes and e-mail them to your grandchildren. Age appropriate stories
hit the mark.
Trade recipes by e-mail. You
can share recipes that your grandchildren's parents loved when they were
young.
"Talk at Bedtime" by e-mail
to your grandchildren and ask them to do the same. Tell what you did that
day or something that is troubling you or something you want to do. You
can both read the talks at bedtime.
Make a story "scrapbook" of
favorite family anecdotes. You both can save it in a special e-mail file.
Exchange riddles and jokes
by e-mail. Start your own "Joke of the Day" service.
When you plan your vacation,
make a list of related sites so your grandchildren can go along with you.
Choose a special nickname for
each grandchild. If you put this name in the subject line of your e-mails,
everyone in the family will know who the message is for. e.g. Grammy calls
Cael "Buddy"
