How to Give your Grandchildren the Best Start

Kiwi schools have been copping some bad press lately – especially in the area of truancy. Post Covid lockdown attendance hasn’t bounced back as it should have, and meanwhile, research has shown, with the odd exception, those who are less well off are receiving a poorer education. Maths is a concern, too, with today’s 15 year olds lacking knowledge their counterparts had under their belts 20 years ago. While it’s not all bad news, it does signal that all of us (grandparents included) need to do our best to help the younger members of our family begin the school year enthusiastic about learning. As seniors, especially, many of us will also have the time to support our grandchildren’s education as the year progresses. If you want to take up these important challenges, here are some areas where you can put up your hand:

Get little ones in the mood for learning by reading to them regularly over the holidays. Play maths games together, and enjoy simple home-based, child-friendly, science experiments (ask your library to recommend books about these).

Prepare an after-school work station in your home so your grandchildren have a quiet, comfortable, well-stocked spot where they can complete homework when they visit. It can be as simple as a fold-away table, or a devoted desk. Stock it with stationery, make sure there’s a power plug close by for devices to connect to, and provide a comfy chair and a foot stand.

Share your diary with family so they know when you’re available to help out with before or after school child care.

Volunteer to be the adult on a ‘walking school bus’. If there isn’t one already operating in your area, consider setting one up with help from this useful guide.

Tap into your grandchild’s weekly school newsletter so you know when events such as sports days, performances, special assemblies, and grandparent’s days are coming up. Even if you can’t always attend these events, the newsletter is a conversation-starter with young ones when you get together.

Offer to be a grandparent helper at your grandchild’s school. This will usually involve a simple police check, and then you’ll be good to go.

When school camp comes around, offer to be a grandparent helper, or to provide baking.

Offer to walk or bike to school with your grandchildren.

If grandchildren are biking to school unaccompanied (they should not be doing this if under the age of 10), offer to upskill them. You can find information to help you do this at Waka Kotahi’s webpage: Bike Ready.

If your school offers faith-based education classes, you may like to become a volunteer teacher for an organisation such as Launchpad.

After school activities can be as important as school-based lessons. Offer to collect your grandchild from school, and take them to an after-school class on a weekly basis.

Well-nourished brains have the best chance of learning, but the price of fresh fruit and vegetables is skyrocketing. Be the provider of healthy snacks mum or dad can pop into school lunch boxes in the morning. At the start of the week, chop up vege sticks of carrot, cucumber, celery, beetroot and courgette. Deliver them to your grandchildren’s home in a sealed container that can go straight into the fridge (if slicing up fruit that discolours, dip it in a solution of lemon juice, first). Dry roasted nuts and dried fruit and veges are another healthy option (but first check with your grandchild’s school that nuts are permitted, as they are often banned due to allergy concerns).

Suss out recipes for healthy after-school snacks that can be stored in your freezer for when grandchildren arrive. Look for savoury muffins, hummus and red pepper dips, and muesli squares (without the sugar).

Offer to buy a school essential such as a backpack, an item of uniform, a piece of sports equipment, or a musical instrument.

Whatever you do to help your grandchild get back to school, it will be appreciated by parents. More importantly, it signals to young ones you take their education seriously – and so should they!