Grandparents are most famous for telling fun stories to their grandkids. But what do you do if you aren't a "born" storyteller? This article should help you the next time you need to entertain them and others.
Your grandchildren think the world has always been the way they see it now. You, as their grandparent, might be their only connection to a lifestyle that moved slower and had strong values.
The only thing that hasn't changed in this fast-paced world is a child's fascination with good stories and this works in your favor. They were born into a world full of computers, video games, the Internet, microwaves, flights to other planets, and television. They've probably had a cell phone for several years and spend hours "texting" friends a day. They are totally connected to the entire world around them and the world is far different from when you were a child 50+ years ago.
One way to bridge the cultural separation and give your grandkids a sense of their ancestry is to tell them stories of your childhood and how it was when you were their age; connecting the dots, so to speak.
You could start as soon as they reach the age of wanting to hear stories by telling them about when you were their age and repeating stories you were told by your grandparents. You might have been a child before television and played games and had adventures outside instead of camping on the sofa with the remote. Don't be surprised to get questions about how you possibly managed to live without TV.
If your grandparents were involved in the western migration, you probably have stories about wagon trains and cowboys. Or it could be your family moved from Europe during World War II. If you don't have your own family stories to pass down, visit the library and find books that tell about the days and times involving your grandparents or parents. A good video can probably be found as well.
You can talk about the different chores you had to do when you were their age, or going farther back, tell how it was to cook on a wood stove, make butter, and milk the cows. These stories should be shared in a manner that is not reproachful, even if you think they don't have it near as rough as you had it.
There was a time when families lived together, several generations under one roof or at least close by. Children always knew their heritage and often knew their grandparents and even their great-grandparents. That is not so true today. Many children grow up without a sense of belonging to an extended family or culture.
Old picture albums are very helpful when connecting the dots of ancestral history. For example, if you have a picture of an ancestor in a vintage baseball uniform and one of the grandkids plays baseball, there's a connection.
Perhaps your granddaughter loves to cook and you can show her a picture of her great-aunt winning a blue ribbon at the state fair for her pie. Another dot just got connected.
Children who know their ancestry and how they are connected to those long-gone will develop a sense of true belonging to "something." They will remember the stories you tell them and might continue the connection with their own children.
Think about starting a family genealogy project with them. Together you can research the details online and start a project that will last for years and forge a strong bond between you and them.