Bridging The Generation Gap: 5 Conversation Starters

Studies have shown the approximate number of grandparents has increased from 40 million in 1980 to 80 million in 2020. Besides reminding your grandchildren that they are the most precious humans ever, what is there to say? Our little grandchildren or great-grandchildren are pretty excited by their toys. We know you remember that feeling of opening the best present ever, then having to set it aside to spend time with the adults. Why not ask the little ones in your family to share with you their favorite toy this season? You can ask them why they love it or the best part about it? They might even show you how to play with it together. If they do not have a favorite toy, you can ask them their favorite story. If you would like to ask their parent to pack their favorite book, this could open up an opportunity to read them a bedtime story. While our little ones may not remember every detail, they will remember how loved they felt when visiting Grandma and Grandpa.

Adolescence is the time between the ages of ten and nineteen. We know this age as those who will have their phones in their hands the majority of your visit. Yes, it is true. We did not carry around phones in our pockets at their age, but who better to help you update your Facebook profile than your very own phone geniuses? A few other ideas would be to ask them about their favorite app, share their favorite funny cat video, or play their favorite song for you on Spotify. If you are feeling extremely adventurous, ask them to do a TikTok video with you. Exploring their tech world might inspire them to ask you questions about when you were their age. While you may not have viral videos to share, we know you have some pretty astounding memories from which they could benefit.

Communicating with your adult children can often fall into the responsibility topics. How is work? Are you saving money for your children to go to college? What repairs have you done on the house lately? We think that while all of those things are important, they are present all year long. What about asking your children what their favorite memory from their childhood was? What was their favorite holiday event or best present ever? Reminding your adult children what it felt like to be children might spark that holiday spirit we all hope to find year after year. Do you have days to spend together? There are plenty of games that families can play together.

If you are blessed to have your parents with you this season, remember they would like to connect with you just as you would with your children and grandchildren. The holidays are a perfect time to ask your parent if they could share a memory from their favorite celebration. If you have a camera or your adolescent grandchild would like to record on their phone, now would be a timely opportunity to hear stories about your grandparents or great-grandparents. Now is the time to bring out those old black and white photos and write the names of your relatives on the back. Generations from now, those photos will be keepsakes, and your descendants will have a record of their ancestors.

While enjoying your time with family, it can be fun to attend events together. Senior living homes will have many activities, craft hours, caroling, entertainment, and games. These events can be a fantastic option since the staff take care of the planning, decorating, and organizing. You can bring your family and relax and enjoy the day. After the day is over, you can drink hot cocoa and ask your family about their favorite part of the day. Laughing while spending time with your relatives can create holiday memories that last a lifetime.

Would you like to make sure you can keep up with your family during the holidays? Here are six ideas to increase your mobility.