SPENDING HOLIDAYS WITH GRANDPARENTS

Nina Chen, Ph.D.
Human Development Specialist

It is important to have grandparents as part of holiday celebrations.  Generations together can bring a lot of joy in sharing ideas, traditions and beliefs. 

Today's young children have less opportunities to interact with older people.  This family reunion will help young children explore older people and feel comfortable to share and play together. 

There are many activities that can be shared between the generations.  For instance, decorating the tree is something both grandparent and grandchildren can treasure.  Baking cookies together is also fun for grandchildren to learn from Grandma's recipe. It is also an ideal time for grandparents to tell stories of the "good old days" and of what holidays were like when Grandma and Grandpa were little.  Children are also interested in hearing how their parents spent their holidays when they were little.  The holiday time can be a valuable time for both generations to establish a family ritual of celebrating holidays.

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