One of the greatest parts of having children is when your children have children. You get your freedom after your own babies grow up, and suddenly they start having their own babies. When that happens, you get to relive some of the most precious memories you have.

It’s a challenge, though, and many grandparents struggle with jumping back into making memories with children as they juggle their own lives — a career, a marriage, a social life, their health. Grandparents have busy schedules of their own, and sometimes it can be incredibly difficult to strike the balance between making memories and giving your children too much space.

One thing’s for sure though: these years are precious, and you need to soak up as much of them as you can. Make time to make #JoovyMoments with these practical tips.

Be Flexible

 

The hardest part about seeing the grandkids consistently definitely boils down to scheduling conflicts. Between napping schedules, school schedules, parents’ work schedules, and your own life, it can be incredibly challenging to claim a spot on the calendar.

Though you have your own schedule to manage, the very best thing you can be in this scenario is flexible and yield to your children’s schedule as much as possible. Spending time together is a two-way street, but parents of young children may be overwhelmed and look to you to take initiative.

Give the Parents a Heads Up

As eager as you are to snuggle those sweet grandbabies, keep in mind that parents stress a lot about the state of their homes and sticking to their schedules. Unless your children have specifically said it’s okay, always give them a call before just dropping in unexpectedly.

Keep It Simple

Making memories doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive, so don’t make it a less frequent experience by making it a more complicated one. Encourage your children to drop the grandkids off at your house for an afternoon of baking or fingerpainting. Teach them a skill they can’t learn from their parents. Make homemade popcorn and watch a movie together.

There are plenty of things you can do at home that your grandchildren may find more novel than you realize, so don’t feel like visits have to be a big production every time.

Be Equipped for Kids

The more comfortable the grandkids are at your house, the simpler and less stressful visits will be. Have designated sleep and eating spaces for them that don’t take up a bunch of room or clash with your home decor.

The Foocot makes a great temporary toddler bed and folds up for easy closet storage. The Nook is a foldable high chair that stores super easily, so you don’t have to worry about it taking up space all the time in a tiny kitchen.

Shop the Foocot
Shop the Nook

In addition, to play and sleep spots, have a few extra changes of clothes and some diapers on hand and keep a basket of their favorite snacks in the kitchen. It’s an easy way to ensure you’ll always be ready for a visit.

Don’t Let Distance Get In the Way

Many families struggle with distance when children move away. It definitely makes spending time with grandchildren more costly and time-consuming, but it doesn’t have to make it impossible.

If your grandbabies are living more than a few hours away, it’s time to start looking into credit cards that offer airline miles rewards. Sign up for flight deals with services like Scott’s Cheap Flights and keep your ear to the ground so you can snap up cheap airfare when it becomes available.

Keep copies of your grandchildren’s school schedules on hand, along with any other travel plans their parents have made, so you can act fast on deals that might not last.

In between visits, keep communication consistent. Video chat is a wonderful way to connect with family around the world and will make sure they stay familiar with your face and voice. Set up a standing appointment with your child’s family to have a video chat and try to get into a routine with it.

Make It a Priority

 

 

These years are so fleeting — it seems like only yesterday your own children were babies, and now they have babies of their own. No matter how busy you are, be proactive about spending time with your grandbabies. Find time, make time, and make yourself a part of their lives that they’ll never forget.

Are you a grandparent? What do you find is the hardest part of the job?