Activity Roster

One of the best parts of being a grandparent is connecting with others outside of your family. Not only do you have something in common with trillions of other proud adults, but your status as a grandparent can enhance your relationships with everyone else.

If your grandchildren are too far away to play with on a regular basis, you can get involved with other children who are nearby. Here are some activities you might enjoy:

• With a giant bubble wand and a bucket of dish soap you could be the “Bubble Lady” at the park. Children love bubbles. Parents might look at you funny at first, but once they know you’re a grandma, they’ll look forward to seeing you.
• Hospitals and orphanages will welcome your attention. Call the administrator for permission to read stories to individual children or to a group. Many children would appreciate a grandma or grandpa to talk to, even without a book.
• Check with the library about a Grandparents Reading to Children program. Our local library has one every afternoon from 2:00 to 4:00. Stories are always popular with children — and they contribute to a greater appreciation of reading. Story time also gives parents and caregivers some time to relax and read books without pictures. Reading programs can be informal, where the children pick the books or they can be planned programs that include a related craft activity. One round, tike-sized table in the children’s area and a free hour or two every week is all that you need to begin. With prior arrangements, any library would love to have you.
• Public schools can always use volunteers to distribute milk or help on the playground. Many under-budgeted school districts need volunteers to give art and music classes. You don’t need a degree or expertise — just enthusiasm about the subject.
• Call the local Boy Scout or Girl Scout Council to inquire about being a helper for troop meetings.
• A parks and recreation organization could refer you to a soccer league in need of another coach.

Political Rallies

Have you voted since you became a grandmother? If so, I’ll bet you thought twice about that school bond issue on the ballot. Maybe you’ve even started recycling. Rather than burrowing in as your life winds through familiar territory, now is the perfect opportunity to look up and be a part of the world at large. You have a valuable perspective on the world’s potential. And goodness knows, you have real, live, huggable reasons to care about what happens in the next month, the next year, and the next century. Your young grandchildren can’t vote yet, but you can make sure their interests are represented.

Have you ever seen a grandmother arrested for political activism? How many grandmas lead influential delegations at party conventions? When is the last time you saw a grandmother collecting signatures outside the post office? You would remember, right? Grandmas stand out in every political crowd. The public sympathizes with grandmas, because they represent everything good and loving about families. Consequently, your support of any issue or candidate is quite influential. You don’t have to get arrested, but your efforts on the local level of your favorite cause can make a big difference. Your opinion counts … a lot.

Grandmothers for Peace, an international organization based in Elk Grove, California, began in a grandma’s living room in 1982 and now holds conferences around the world. Communication between grandmothers of many nations not only provides help on a personal scale, but also echoes in the halls of parliament. Join a local chapter of a group that interests you — or start a new one — to address your concerns about the world your grandchildren are inheriting.

Grandparents can make a difference. The future is yours.