Preparation for this activity involves knowledge of the participant’s family. You may get this from the participant him/herself or you may need to visit with a family member.
Addresses are essential. Photographs and names are also essential.
The purpose of the activity is to impart knowledge, love, and simple contact between a grandparent or great grandparent and their special younger generation.
Visit with your participant about the grandchildren and/or great grandchildren. Look at photos. Use names, ages, names of parents.
Help your participant understand that they will be sharing with one or more children via the mail on a regular basis. Provide cards appropriate for the children’s ages.
Assist the participant in writing a note in the card. Maybe the participant can do their own writing but if not, write for them. Be sure to use their own words! Writing a short story, any little bit about the grandparent’s childhood would be wonderful, any memory of games or school or pets. It only needs to be a short paragraph or two. Then simply sign off with love.
Then, take a photo of your participant, maybe a photo that shows their room or something special in their room. The photo could show something the participant enjoys or has made; something that tells a little about the grandparent. There will be more cards and more photos to follow so there will be opportunities to share more of everything in weeks to come.
If the grandparent has a strong ethnic background, perhaps he/she could share one word in their heritage language at the bottom of the card; “Love” in German; “Sunshine” in Norwegian, “Happy” in Spanish; etc. Do that each time.
Keep to a schedule. People who spend too much time alone need to look forward to a visit (you) and they need to feel the wonderful anticipation of doing something. Set a weekly date for them or meet twice a week, whatever works. It is vital, of course, that you keep the date, even if you think they might forget…..because they might not!