“Hey grandma, I don’t want any interruptions today while we’re hanging out, so I thought we could turn off our devices and do something else. " “Grandma, you’ve been using your iPad for quite a while. Is there a game or an activity we can both do together?”
“My English class has been reading the book Of Mice and Men. Do you like that writer, John Steinbeck?” “I joined the dance team last week, and I’m having so much fun. Do you have a favorite dance? Could you teach me how to do it?” “Grandma, today I want to do something we can both enjoy. Maybe we could play a board game in the park or go bird watching. What do you think?”
Many of your hobbies will be too difficult or strenuous for your grandma. By picking up one of her hobbies, you’ll both be able to have fun doing something together. Puzzles and tabletop games, like cards or board games, will be less physically difficult for your grandma and can be a lot of fun. Some common skills your grandma might be able to teach you includes things like making jam, writing shorthand, mending, and more.
Going on a photo safari. Use your camera or phone to hunt for interesting pictures, like a red bird, a three-legged dog, or a bird wearing a bread crust necklace. You could even turn your safari into a competition. Visiting a local museum or art exhibit. Many museums have kids sections, so if you’re younger, there will be something fun to do for you and grandma both. Heading to the library or community center for local events, like movies, game nights, book clubs, and more.
You might start a conversation about seasonal crafts with your grandma by saying something like, “Before cell phones and TV, what did you do to pass time in the spring? Can you teach me springtime crafts?” Seasonal crafts are especially popular around major holidays, like Christmas, Easter, Halloween, Independence Day, and so on. Try making holiday oriented crafts with grandma.
While baking, you’ll have plenty of time to talk, but you can also groove to music at low volume. You could even alternate between your favorite albums and grandma’s. This is also a good opportunity to help grandma out. Often, you’ll need special ingredients for certain dishes. While at the store, ask grandma if there are any heavy groceries she needs help with.
Small adjustments to recipes are often what makes them special. Ask your grandma what she does differently or adds to family recipes to make them taste so good. You never know when a recipe and cooking lessons from grandma might come in handy. Your friends or significant other might be impressed by your skill in the kitchen. If your grandma is a fan of cooking shows, you and grandma might have fun pretending that you are putting on your own cooking show as you make family recipes.
If your grandma doesn’t have a garden, you could buy her some potted plants and help her care for these. A small indoors herb garden can add color and life to her home while still being useful. If grandma doesn’t have space for potted plants, you might consider making her a living wall. This can be given as a gift, and then you both can enjoy caring for it together.
Avoid judging or making jokes about grandma. Even if some things she does seem weird in your home culture, she probably thinks the same thing about your culture. Get to know your roots. Learning the meaning and history behind family traditions can be very interesting, and is also a way you can show respect. [6] X Research source
You might say, “Hi grandma! How are you? I’m good. I’ve been busy with school. My favorite subject is English. What was your favorite subject when you went to school?” Instead of avoiding fun new slang words and terms, grandma might be interested learning fun, popular expressions and using them herself. You might teach grandma slang by explaining, “I’m sorry, you might not be familiar with that expression. When I said “to’ up” I meant “tore up” or “ruined. " " If your grandma is hard of hearing, you might get a little frustrated speaking with her. When you start feeling frustrated, imagine how happy you would be if someone took time to talk to you if you were hard of hearing.
If you feel yourself rushing, you can slow down by breathing slowly in and out on a 10 count. Inhale deeply and completely as you count from 1 to 10, pause for a moment, and then exhale completely as you count to 10 once more. [7] X Research source
“Grandma, I love spending time with you, but talking about this is starting to make me feel uncomfortable. Could we talk about something else?” “We can agree to disagree, but I hear what you’re saying. Let’s talk about something different. How have your hobbies been going? Have you made any new crafts?”
