National Grandparent’s Day was given official status when President Jimmy Carter proclaimed that the day would be observed on the first Sunday after Labor Day. Though it’s not considered a national holiday, this year Grandparent’s Day falls on September 9.
Parents, grandparents, children, and grandchildren can spend Grandparent’s Day in any number of ways. Even if you’re only able to spend a few hours together, there are any number of activities you can do to help make this Grandparent’s Day one to remember.
Start a tradition
Grandparents can use Grandparent’s Day to start a yearly family tradition. Psychologists say that special, original, memorable experiences help grandparents and grandchildren develop closer relationships. One grandparent, for example, knowing that her grandson loved fire engines, took her grandson to the local fire station every year. They’d take the firefighters snacks and tour the building together.
Create a diary
You can memorialize your experiences on Grandparent’s Day by working together with your grandchildren to create a journal, scrapbook, or even a Grandparent’s Day card. You can ask your grandchildren questions about the day, their experiences, and what they want to remember. You can write down those answers and then have your grandchild draw pictures about them.
Build a sense of family roots
Your grandchildren develop an understanding of their parents from you that they otherwise would never have. You can build a strong sense of family and tradition by taking your grandchildren to places you used to take their parent, or do activities their parent enjoyed.
- How Estate Planning for a Family May Trap the Unwary Practitioner - August 31, 2022
- State Income Taxation of Social Security Benefits - August 24, 2022
- Understanding Tax Apportionment Clauses - August 17, 2022