When is Grandparents’ Day and Why Does it Matter?*

Grandparents and their grandkids have a special bond. In today’s busy family settings, there are so many roles that a grandparent fills. Whether it’s chaperoning a field trip or babysitting, grandparents make it their life mission to support their kids and grandkids whenever they can. As they get older, grandparents look for every opportunity to spend more time with their grandkids, and that’s where Grandparents’ Day comes in. So, when is Grandparents’ Day? National Grandparents’ Day is observed on Sunday, September 11, 2022 to honor grandparents for their love and support for their grandbabies.

• Benefits of Spending Time with Grandparents
  • Build Emotional Intelligence
  • Increase Happiness in Children
  • Encourage Positive Social Behavior
  • Beat Depression
  • Forge a Deep Family Connection
  • Strengthen Parental Bonds
• Happy National Grandparents’ Day: The Purpose and Importance
• Some Fun Grandparents’ Day Activities
  • Baking
  • Play Outdoor Games
  • Make Arts and Crafts
  • Go for a Hike
  • Check Off Their Bucket List
  • Have a Spa Day
• Grandparents’ Day: Strengthening Family Relationships

Benefits of Spending Time with Grandparents

If there is one thing the global COVID-19 pandemic has taught us, it’s the importance of spending time with family. It’s about treasuring every moment we get with our loved ones because you never know when you might lose them.

Family dynamics have changed over the years as families move farther and farther apart due to work. As a result, grandparents don’t get to see their grandkids as much as they want. If your grandparents are still around, enjoy the moments that you have. 

Build Emotional Intelligence

The changing dynamic of the workplace environment has meant that parents don’t get to spend as much time with their children. Daycare facilities have taken over this role. Knowing your child is safe in daycare is great, but it lacks the emotional and behavioral development a parent can offer. 

Increase Happiness in Children

Most grandparents are retired and therefore have more free time. Given a chance, they would love nothing more than to spend that time with their grandchildren. Since grandparents have looser ties with their grandkids, it leads to happier children.

Encourage Positive Social Behavior

A recent study found that children who had more interactions with their grandparents were more compassionate and empathetic in social settings. 

Beat Depression

Childhood depression is a real and worrying part of raising kids. Often, children are more comfortable with other people like grandparents than they are with Mom and Dad. At the same time, seniors are prone to feelings of loneliness which can lead to depression, so such a visit could benefit both parties. 

Forge a Deep Family Connection

Grandparents are the custodians of the family history. Children spending time with them means that they get to learn about their family history and culture. This is something that they will be able to pass on to their children and grandchildren in the future.

Strengthen Parental Bonds

Children, especially teenagers, are challenging to deal with. If your child has reached a difficult point, you can plan a trip to their grandparents’ house. As your kids hear stories about how you grew up and your teenage years, it will give them a better understanding of you, strengthening your bond.

Happy National Grandparents’ Day: The Purpose and Importance

When is national Grandparents’ Day? This year it will be celebrated on Sunday, September 12, 2021. National Grandparents’ Day is not a federal holiday per se, but many still observe and celebrate it every year.

We are living in a world where seniors go through life-fighting anxiety and depression, and most of the time, it’s because they feel abandoned by their families. Sure, care homes help bring stability in their lives, but what they want more than anything is not to be forgotten.

And now there is an even bigger threat to worry about—the Delta Variant of COVID-19. According to the CDC, the Delta Variant, first detected in India, is a highly contagious strain of SARS-CoV-2, and it is even more transmissible.  

We’ve lost so many people to COVID-19 already, with older people being at higher risk. It is because of this reason that we need to treasure family relationships. Grandparents play an important role in their grandchildren’s lives. They influence their emotional development and also look out for their grandkids financially.

Lockdowns and travel restrictions have meant that families don’t spend time together. This national Grandparents’ Day, let’s honor our seniors by spending more time with them.

Some Fun Grandparents’ Day Activities

Grandparents day is the perfect time for grandparents to bond with their grandkids and figure out how to build a strong relationship. It can be a physical or virtual (with COVID-19 still looming) activity that the whole family can enjoy. 

Baking

Nothing beats Grandma’s cookies. Sharing their favorite hobby is one of the best ways of showing love and spending time with each other. This bonding experience is something neither of them will ever forget. If a physical bake-off isn’t possible, a video call will still do.

Play Outdoor Games

Some of the best adventures happen outdoors. It can be as simple as hosting a sports day just for grandparents and grandchildren.

Make Arts and Crafts

This is an inexpensive way of spending time with each other. This kind of activity promotes creativity in the young ones, and it could also mean having something to keep as a reminder of Grandparents’ Day.

Again with coronavirus restrictions, it might not be possible to spend time physically. In that case, why not still be creative by playing something like Pictionary on a video call?

Go for a Hike

If you are looking for ways to spend more time with your grandparents, a hike is a good idea. Depending on fitness abilities, you can go for a short walk in your local national park or something a little farther.

Check Off Their Bucket List

This Grandparents’ Day, ask your grandparents about something they’ve always desired to do but never got around to. We all have things we want to do before we leave this world. If you do this for them, it will be something that they will remember to their last day.

Have a Spa Day

This Grandparents’ Day, do something out of the ordinary for them, like planning for an entire spa day. They will appreciate getting to spend time with you.

Grandparents’ Day: Strengthening Family Relationships

Grandparents play a vital role in today’s busy society. As much as families have moved farther apart for economic reasons or work, family bonds are still important. COVID-19 has brought about restrictions and lockdowns, and now more than ever, we need to treasure the moments we have with our loved ones. Stress, anxiety, and depression due to feelings of abandonment are common with most seniors. National Grandparents’ Day is a time to renew that bond that grandparents share with their grandkids.