These days, while watching my two grandchildren during the day, I am learning a lot of lessons from them.
I’m learning persistence from four-year-old grandson. Each day he tries to throw his hat on our coat rack. Since he is aiming for the highest hook, that’s not an easy task. Sometimes it takes him fifteen minutes or more before he can do it. But he refuses to give up. Landing on the middle hook isn’t good enough either. He tries until he accomplishes what he’s after. I would do well to model that behaviour.
Grandbaby is teaching me the value of practice. She will climb up and down her highchair until she has mastered the climb. Once that’s mastered, she’ll add other skills, such as standing up when she reaches the top. The word ‘fear’ isn’t in her vocabulary, nor is ‘impossible’. Regardless of the task, she practices until it becomes easy for her.
Now excuse me while I go and practice my cooking. I am being persistent because at my age you would think I didn’t need any more practice. Unfortunately, I do.
Facebook and Grandkids
One of my granddaughters, almost a teen, lives not too far away. Yet I don’t see her very often because she is involved with her friends, school, and a budding social life. For quite a while it seemed that there just wasn’t a way to keep in touch with her. She was always too busy for grandma.
But then I started using Facebook to keep in touch with my other kids and grandkids in various parts of the country. That way I keep up with what everyone is doing and get to see all their newest photos. And the above-mentioned granddaughter also likes to post on Facebook.
So I started little one-line conversations with her there. If she posted that she was worried about tomorrow, I would ask why. And when I found out that it was because of a test or something, I’d ask her about it the next time we talked on the phone.
Before long, the relationship began to warm up, all because I took the time to get to know my preteen on her terms. Do you use Facebook to keep in touch?
