Grandparents

Grandparents may live near their grandchildren or far away. They may have frequent contact or no contact at all. They may want to renew, re-spark or think how to keep the relationship as children move into another stage of development.

We offer the opportunity to:

• Contemplate the relationship that you have with your children and grandchildren
• Envision the kind of relationship you want to have with your children and grandchildren
• Use your Quaker faith as a support and guide in your relationships

 

Discussion Series Outline

Objectives

• An opportunity to:
  • Reflect on their grandparenting role
  • Envision how they would like to grandparent
  • Problem solve what is possible given the circumstances

First Session

• Queries to guide session
  • What role do I have in the lives of my grandchildren?
  • What role do I wish I had?
  • How can my Quaker Faith guide me as I walk this Grandparenting path
• Circle introductions
  • Introduce our extended families using pictures
  • Something we have done together that was fun or
  • Something we would have liked to have done together that would have been fun.
• List our issues (They might include)
  • Children live far away
  • Members not speaking to each other
  • Grandchildren not doing well
  • Children being dumped on you
  • Not seeing grandchildren
• Take one issue—
  • Brainstorm ideas for solving
• Building our picture of the ideal family —
  • What would our ideal extended family look like?
    • (Work in small groups)
    • Who include?
    • Activities
    • Pool our dreams
• Holding a member of our extended family in the Light

Second Session

This session will grow out of the material presented during the first session

Possible topics

• Issue: Grandparent listed geographical distance from grandchildren
• Workshop: Brainstorming schemes for keeping in touch.
  

• Issue:
  • Parents will not let grandparents see grandchild.
  • There is no communication with family
• Workshop:
  • Draw on Quaker practices for help in understanding.
  • Draw on Quaker testimonies for guidance
    

• Issue: Grandchild have serious problems
• Workshop:
  • Identifying problems
  • Brainstorming possible ways of dealing with problems
  • Turning to our Quaker faith to guide us in how to support the child