What you get in return is personal pleasure, and a store of anecdotes,
history, lore and traditions for grandkids, nieces, nephews, and nearby
and distant family whatever their ages. Photos and sketches, along with
verbal descriptions and commentaries are constituents of tradition and
values-and the finest kind of intergenerational communications.
Values and Traditions
Many older adults have interests other than family. They work, play golf
and other sports, have active social lives and hobbies, and so on. So,
indeed, what's in grandparenting for them?
It depends on how much value a grandparent-and a parent places on
family ties and the need for and the flow of intergenerational
communications. Where family has meaning, interacting with a far away
grandchild adds substance to a 'value'. Then, as the grandparent ages,
communicating with the distant grandchild retains its strength as a
positive force, and enriches the remaining years. It reduces loneliness,
and is an antidote for apathy and depression. Entering grandparenting
with tolerance, constancy, and sincerity adds pleasures to a person's life.
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