Travels with Your Grandkids

Being a grandparent is something that can help make the best memories of your life, if you are ready to take the chance. When you are a child, you are sometimes too green to understand and appreciate some of the awesome things that happen. As an adult, you often feel too hassled to really fully experience something to the full. But as a grandparent, you will have learned better than most how to pace your life to get the best out of it, and this is something that has many rewards, not least the opportunity to appreciate the wide-eyed wonder with which a child looks at the world. Time spent with your grandchildren can make you feel young again – or very, very old, depending on the level of activity.

It is not uncommon for grandparents to take the grandchildren off their parents' hands for a time every once in a while. Looking at it from the parents' point of view, they have had an extremely hectic life since the children were born and have scarcely had a moment's rest. They will often appreciate the opportunity to have a bit of time together to themselves. And for the grandkids, it is a chance to hang out with their grandparents – people who they do not get to see enough, who always have the best stories and (because kids can be cynical when they want to be) will usually be ready with a gift or two. Going away on holiday with your grandkids is something that can really make this even better. Wherever you go, it is a chance for them to learn a bit more about the rest of the world, and for you to learn about them.

Planning a holiday is something that can take time. Where children are involved it takes still more time, but it is worth it. When the destination is decided, the next step is to think realistically about what activities can be enjoyed in the region. If you are not going far, then there will probably be things that the child has already heard of that they will want to see and do. If you are going somewhere further away, then there is the opportunity for them to learn a bit about how the people in that state or country live their lives, and how it is different from what they are used to. You can become an educator for your grandchild.

There are inevitable elements of holidaying with a child for which you will need to be prepared. No-one can doubt the fact that children have a lot of energy and can be a lot to deal with for any adult – and this is especially the case if you are beginning to feel your age. There are ways and means to prevent this problem from becoming too much to take, but if it is going to be impossible then maybe the trip should not happen – unless of course you are able to share the duties with another grandparent or an older child.

By Veronica Scott