How to maintain relationships with your Grandchildren who live overseas
By Pauline Chambers
My Grandson lives abroad, so I don't get to see him very often. He is a beautiful little boy of three. I miss him and his mum very much and I am desperate for ideas to keep happily in contact with them both. My ideas are few; however I am hoping that other grandparents in the same situation will share their ideas as well.
Most importantly I Skype him regularly, this is a free service that enables two computers to talk to each other via the internet, using the computer screen as a TV. I Skype him at a time when he isn't too tired to talk, which is difficult when there is a 9 hour time difference between us.
However, combined with a little "briefing chat" with his mum, we make a start. I know what he has been doing, so I can prompt him with questions, and he loves to tell me about all the lovely things in his life. I found a couple of little hand puppet toys, that join us in the conversation. So between, "miss mousey", "Father Christmas", Penguin and snail etc. we can keep the conversation rolling along quite nicely. However I have to keep remembering all the different little "voices" that each little thing has, which send me, his mother and him into fits of laughter.
Often he will ask specifically to speak to "Miss Mousey", and depending on her mood she is usually obliging. I have become quite a reasonable ventriloquist, I must say. Owl Butts in regularly, so it's all great fun. The animals and I gather things from around the woods to show him, he is never far from my mind wherever I go.
Using the internet, I send postcards and digital photos of things that will interest him, the pigeon on her nest, his favourite horses' heads leaning over the fence with a "happy birthday" message stuck to the fence. All sorts of little things that I know he will be interested in. I send a card to him once a month with stickers and all sorts of little interesting things that will pop out when the card is opened.
My daughter is also keen for us to be involved as we can be, and buys and hides a little "stash" of small gifts for us to call on. So when I write to him, sometimes I will give him a cryptic clue, for example ...."special toy for a special boy...is hidden where boys sleep" my Grandson then roars off and dives under his bed to retrieve the surprise. Then he shows me and thanks me for the present when we "skype" next time.
Thanks to the internet, we are as close as we can be and, are limited only by our imagination. Even the dog gets involved now, and it sits on my lap looking into the screen at my Grandson who is delighted to talk to him.
However sometimes, he just doesn't want to talk, I understand, yet dearly miss this chubby little face peering at the screen, asking me things, watching his spontaneous cheeky laughter at the owl, who is really becoming quite naughty.
So to those of you who see their Grandchildren regularly, I envy you. Because despite my pathetic efforts, I cannot cuddle or play, or smell his golden hair, stroke his soft skin, tickle him, console him, watch him go to sleep or wake up in the morning.
Enjoy your Grandchildren while you can.
