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MONEY CHALLENGE

August 5, 2019

Our children/grandchildren don’t stay young for very long! They grow up fast and we need to make sure they are learning about money as they grow up. Recently Grandpa thought up a wonderful money challenge for two in our family. Here’s the scenario:

They had planned to go out to dinner, but couldn’t decide where to go and asked our ideas.

Grandpa suggested that they give EACH person the money (cash) they would have spent at a restaurant and instead go to the grocery store to buy what they wanted for dinner.

After shopping, there was cooking and reheating and sharing, depending on what each person purchased.

They documented each of their purchases and their dinners with pictures.

They had leftovers!

On the other side of the world, another grandson went to the outdoor market and got to choose food he wanted to cook for the whole family for dinner. He bought watermelon, broccoli and live shrimp. Total cost was about 10 dollars. He used a few spices from home and made a very nutritious and yummy dinner. Some of the other grands loved the shrimp and some didn’t.

A great money lesson….with side benefits! This, or an adaptation of it, can work regardless of what the money budget is. Great idea, Grandpa!

Tell a story

July 8, 2019

Being able to tell a story is an important communication skill. Although some people seem to come by storytelling naturally, most of us develop the skill through reading and practice. When our grandchildren were young, our daughter-in-law encouraged our family’s storytelling tradition by writing a simple story, using props and costumes that were available to act it out. We were able to record that as a video. Since then, we have done two more videos of stories that our family has put together. If you watch them in order, you will be watching our grandchildren grow up. Our 3 videos are here:

https://mygrandmatime.com/3019-2/visit-with-grandma/learn-with-grandma/make-a-skit/

Practicing storytelling can be as simple as asking a child who cannot read to tell you the story in a book while looking at the pictures. It can be asking a person to tell something about their day. As we grow in skill and anticipation of telling a story, we look at the world around us in a different way. We also learn about cause and effect when we think about how a story ends. So, if you want to improve communication of your values, work together on storytelling skills.

TREASURE BOX

April 29, 2019

We recently talked to a “grandpa” who gave us some new ideas about treasure boxes. Each time he visits his grandchildren he takes along a “treasure box”. (Between visits he refills the treasure box.) What goes into his box?….mementos from the past. During each visit he tells the story behind his mementos. Sometimes he lets each grandchild choose a memento to keep. Sometimes he hides things in the mementos for a surprise.

I always recommend that grandparents have a treasure box or treasure drawer. It should be kept filled with things that are precious as well as things that are “junk”. When you have a moment with your grandchildren, either in person or via technology, the treasure box gives you an option of pulling something out and talking about it. What is it? What is it made of? What shapes/colors do you see? Where did it come from? Does it have personal meaning? What could/should we do with it? Too often we don’t interact because we don’t have anything to talk or think about. Having a filled treasure box around helps fill that need.

The “TREASURE BOX” in Grandma’s book is used a bit differently. It is filled with things that once were lost, but now are found. The story takes place in a school classroom, so it makes a great “thank you” present for a teacher. It can also be used as a springboard for a discussion on taking better care of your “stuff”. You can find “Treasure Box” here:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/198494004X

SAVE THE BOXES!

April 15, 2019

When our kids were little, Daddy brought home a HUGE cardboard box from work. It was about 4’X6’, about 1” thick, and the bottom edge was reinforced with wood slats. It had protected something really big and heavy. We weren’t very creative with it. A little folding and duct-taping of the top and a bit of cutting on the sides and we had a really neat playhouse. The kids helped us paint it and it lasted a whole season of backyard neighborhood play. I’m sharing this memory because our neighbors recently asked if we had any big boxes. They have since made a rocket ship for their son to enjoy. What a creative treat!

For younger kids, your creative work will provide hours of creative play. For older kids, being challenged to make something out of boxes can provide hours of creative thought and practice working together. Older kids can also be challenged to share their creation/s with younger kids. It is not that long before you will need a great summer project, so begin saving and asking for boxes now. You can usually fold them flat until needed.

Make a plan for family visits

April 1, 2019

Sharing responsibilities is good for leadership, character, and skill development. We recently spent a long time with our whole family together. This wasn’t a brief vacation but was a much longer transition situation. During this time we could have spoiled some of us while overworking others. Instead, we organized our days so that we each participated. The form we used is below. Most days it worked well and the kids were eager to take on their chosen responsibilities. Your list may look different than this one. Ours changes too because of time and place situations.

Yes, vacations and together times should include some “spoiling” for each of us. But, take the time and forethought to build more teamwork with those around you.

Family Activities Chart

Grandma’s latest book highlights how a family with young children can organize and share their day together. You can find “Two-zle Day” here:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1719570027