9 grandparenting ideas from 9 grandmas
;)
I've met such fantastic grandmas through blogging, all with abundant wisdom and more to share.
Here are nine of my favorite -- most useful! -- posts from nine of my favorite grandmas around the web:
1. Grandma Susan, guide for About.com: Grandparents, offers up Baby Supplies for Grandparents. If the little ones will be visiting your house on a regular basis (lucky you!) or even just occasionally, Susan's list is a great starting point for stocking up.
2. All grandmas want to be Super Grandma, to be the provider of mega-memories for our grandkids. Donne of GaGa Sisterhood shares a hard-learned lesson on taming unrealistic expectations of yourself in Super Grandma Vacation Advice: Pace Yourself.
3. Scrambling for toys to entertain the grandkids? Grandma Ronda Kay of GrandGifting shares the giggle-and-grin inducing Unconventional Playthings in Unexpected Places.
4. Reading picture books together is a given, when it comes to grandmas and their grandchildren. Consider taking it a step further -- extending the time engrossed in the story as well as the enjoyment of each others' company -- with this Story Wheel activity from Grandma Lizzie of Grandma Lizzie's House.
5. Being a long-distance grandparent is much harder than it looks -- on the heart, the pocketbook, the relationship between Grandma and grandbaby. Grandma Sue of GrandLoving offers up a super collection of ideas for Long-distance Love and staying in touch across the miles.
6. Button, button, are you a grandma with lots of buttons? Oma of Travelin' Oma shares her ideas for keeping grandkids entertained by pulling out the button box -- or tin or jar -- and making the very most of Button, Button.
7. If you have grandsons to entertain, Grandma Shelley of Grandma's Little Pearls has the absolute coolest idea for the guys. She even calls it The Perfect Outing for Little Boys. Regardless of the title, though, I'm pretty sure little girls would consider it the coolest of cool, too.
8. Grandma Nina of Grandma Ideas has so many nifty ideas for activities with grandkids you likely won't even know where to begin. But as the older kids are often a little more difficult to entertain -- and impress -- you can't go wrong by checking out Nina's Video Fun with Teen-aged Grandchildren.
9. One of the quickest and yummiest ways I found to impress the grandkids -- and their dads ... and everyone else -- is with the Fried Egg Treats from Grandma Judy of Bible Gal. They don't involve eggs or frying, but you'll just have to click on the link to see what they really are, as I'm not at liberty to divulge the secret here. Click on the link then scroll down the page and you can't miss them. I bet you'll be impressed, too.
The greatest thing about the advice and ideas from these grandmas? You don't have to be a grandma to put them to good use -- they work just as dandy for moms, grandpas, aunts and more!
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Today's question:
If you could live in any children's book, which one would you choose?
My answer: "The Secret Garden" would be the place for me.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Reader Comments (10)
Great advice! I will have to tuck it away for when I am lucky enough to be a grandma!
I'm so flattered to be featured here! I would love to live in the top of the alps with the grandfather, Heidi and Peter.
Lisa - Thanks so much - I"m honored to find me and GrandGifting snuggled in this list with so many wonderful G!Moms! This reads like sheet music for a harmonious symphony...
And I'm in tune with TravelinOma - Saturday afternoon I pulled my copy of Heidi off the bookshelf for a nip of Alpine charm, and I haven't been able to put it down since! Each reread resonates differently, like a kaleidoscope...
Thanks for putting us all together - literally!
I loved reading about all the really inventive, admirable, intelligent Grandmas. You sure DO find some fantastic ladies out there!
My choice of stories to live in would be Thumbelina and I'd make my name Forestella. Thumbie and I would, of course, sleep in walnut shell beds with rose petal blankets, but she'd have to be the one who would have to worry about fat ugly frogs wanting to marry her. I'd stay free and fly with the
hummingbirds and butterflies.
You are so sweet to include my site here! But then, you're that kind of person -- SWEET!!
What a great collection of creative grandmas! I'm having fun exploring these new websites. Thanks for sharing and of course, thanks for including me and the GaGa Sisterhood.
I just started reading "Alice in Wonderland" to my 7-year old granddaughter - over the phone! She doesn't want me to stop. I think it would be fun to be Alice, tumbling down the rabbit hole and then changing size to get a new perspective.
'You're welcome' to you wonderful grandmas I featured, and 'thank you' to all of you -- for visiting and for commenting! I love the book choices. Wouldn't it be lovely to try them all for a day or two?
Thanks so much for including me! One of the wonderful things about being a web grandma is making cyber friends!
I would have to live inside The Borrowers, because I've always been intrigued by miniatures. The idea of living a life in miniature is just too much fun!
Thanks for stopping by my blog. I have enjoyed browsing through yours and seeing great tips for grandmas. I am going to pass them onto my mom, who is a wonderful grandma too. :)
Lisa,
Thank you so much for including me in your 9 grandma ideas. It is fun for me to get to know the grandmas you featured.