Making a Trip to Grandma’s a Learning Expedition for the Whole Family

It’s always fun to pack up the kids and go visit grandma on the other side of the country. Sometimes, if it’s a place you don’t get to visit often, it’s a great opportunity to play tourist and make it a learning experience for you and your brood. And you can bring grandma along too. Here are some tips to making a visit to grandma an enriching experience for all involved:

Jetlag and “Fill in the Gaps” Time: I always find that kids are a little funky after a flight, even if the time difference is only an hour. Sometimes (often!) they can be cranky and uncooperative (all this while your mother is informing you that your children look underfed and you look old). You can stay home and deal with one tantrum after another (in reverse chronological order starting with the youngest and ending with you) or you can deflect and get everyone out of the house! Pack a snack and let the kids run around in a neighborhood park or any open space they won’t get run over in. You will find that the change of scene immediately breaks you from the rut you may fall into when you are first reunited with your family : frantic unpacking, heated conversations about what you are doing with your life, condemning Uncle Jerry’s affair, etc.

This works especially well in the “fill in the gaps” timeframes, those interminable hours before dinner, when the kids are bored of their toys or pulling apart grandma’s crochet books. They come back from a quick outing hungry and exhausted, ready for a no-fuss meal and bedtime. (Note: it’s a good idea to have dinner prepared before you embark on this adventure). Then you can relax with a glass of wine and indulge in some pleasant adult conversation!

Grandma’s Day Out: If grandma can handle it, treat her out to an outing alone with the kids. Buy them tickets to the new dinosaur exhibit at the local museum or just send them to the beach. Your kids will be raucous and crashing from sugar highs on the return but at least grandma got some quality time and you got some peace and quiet (and a massage!).

Let Everyone Pick an Activity: If your kids are old enough to know what they want (you know, two or above), pull out a map or city guide and let everyone choose one activity for the whole family. The zoo? Of course! The planetarium, hell yeah! The Ozzy Ozbourne and Justin Bieber dance-off? Umm..maybe next year. If grandma was a sport about 2 hours at the Apple store, then surely the kids will oblige her with a visit to grumpy old Aunt Fanny.

Reinforce Family Traditions: If you grew up eating dinner together as a family, make it a point to do the same while on vacation. Reinforcing these traditions at grandma’s will give them that much more significance. It’s a great time for children to learn about their history and heritage. Pore through old photos or let grandpa tell his favorite tale about earning 5 cents an hour when he was in high school. You’ve heard it a million times, and maybe your children have too, but never underestimate the power of knowing your roots. Your children can travel all over the world, but as long as they know where they come from, they will always have a home wherever they are.