For many families, visiting grandparents in the summer is something that kids and parents both look forward to all year long. But if you’re going to be leaving your kids with their grandparents for a while over the summer break, you might want to help your kids get ready for the changes that are likely to come with grandparents as their caregiver.
To help you with this, here are three tips for preparing your kids to visit their grandparents this summer.
Prepare Them For More Downtime
Many kids look forward to summer as a way to take a break from school and have days full of fun. But if your kids are going to be spending some of their summer with elderly grandparents, they might need to be ready for a little more downtime than they’re used to with you.
While their grandparents may not be in an assisted living facility yet, older people need to take more breaks when the weather is hot and the sun bright. Knowing this, help your kids learn that their grandparents may need to take things slow and stay inside when it’s the hottest part of the day to help them stay safe and healthy.
Learn How To Avoid Getting Sick
Although a lot of the fear over the last few years around getting sick has eased, if your kids are going to be spending a lot of time with their grandparents in the summer, you should still teach them how to best avoid getting sick and, therefore, getting their grandparents sick as well.
As with all routine hygiene, make sure your kids have made it a habit of washing their hands before eating, not touching commonly touched surfaces, and even avoiding being in large groups where sick people might be. Both your kids and your parents will thank you when no one winds up getting sick during their time spent together.
Teach Them About Respect
If your kids are wanting to spend time with their grandparents this summer, it’s likely because they already have a love and respect for them. However, when grandparents are caregivers for kids, it can be easy for them to forget to show them respect, just as they sometimes forget with their own parents.
To avoid anyone getting hurt feelings, you might want to remind your kids about being kind and respectful to their grandparents when spending time at their house this summer. Share that you expect your kids to be on their best behavior and to call you if they have any troubles.
If you have kids that will be staying with their grandparents for part of the summer, consider using the tips to help prepare them for this adventure.
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