Feb 3, 20237 min read

How to stay close and connected with grandchildren when you live far away

I want to go to grandma's house! The words coming from a kid that is a part of a well developed grandparent and grandchild relationship. I would think that we are a very tight knit family. You know the kind that has big family dinners and see one another at least twice a week (in person). My parents were very much a part of mine and my children's lives on a daily basis until this past summer of 2020. They moved about 400 miles away and the weekly visits became impossible. You wonder if the grandparents are able to stay close and connected with the grandchildren.

I remember when they first moved I did feel a sense of sadness inside. Not sure if the emotion was for myself or more for my children who have bonded so closely with them. However, the move was for a good purpose. My oldest cried and for the first couple of months it was pretty hard on him, because he related almost everything that we saw while driving, to time spent with his grandparents. The consoling began and words of encouragement to help my child get into the routine of the new norm was almost on a daily basis.

On our way to see grandparents who live in West Texas

My parents along with my husband's mom had to come to the realization that building a relationship with their grandchildren and keeping it going would look much different than it would if we all lived close. This leads to the purpose of this blog post. How can grandparents stay close to their grandchildren when they live far away? Is it possible and can the bond continue to grow and be just as strong? I would say of course!

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5 Tips On How To Use A Cell Phone To Help Grandparents Stay Close And Connected With Grandchildren

Facetime-Thankfully we do live in a generation where most people own some type of technology device. This could be anything from a cell phone to an iPad. These devices offer features where you are able to facetime your loved one, of course in real time. One app feature that is well known is google duo, which allows its users to video chat in real-time. I use this feature with my father a lot and it is user friendly. According to App Store Preview google duo has a 4.7 out of 5 rating, which is a pretty good rating if I say so myself. I also would like to add that the app is FREE!. Keep in mind that both users must use the app to engage.
Marco Polo-No this is not the game or the person. However, this is a great app that is available to use. It provides an opportunity for loved ones to stay connected. One of its many features that I love is that it allows you to create your own personal groups with the individuals you want in it. For an example within my Marco Polo I am a part of a group that is for sisters in my church, a business committee group, and a family group. This way when communicating the videos are relevant to that group. I would add that this app does not provide videos in real time. However, the members are able to go back and see the video. The app is free but Marco Polo recently added a Plus to allow its customers to take advantage of more features. Click here to find out more about the free, plus, and plus family plan.
Zoom-This is a great conferencing app to implement when staying in touch with your loved ones. Grandparents along with additional family members can hop onto this app and engage in real-time. What is awesome about this app is that you are able to see multiple family members that are in different locations. So if the grandparents have multiple children with children everyone will be able to participate. As long as the member has a device to download the app and sign in they will be able to join in. The creator of the meetup is able to create a password that is given to whoever they like along with the ID number. This helps prevent other people from popping in. Imagine a sweet zoom meetup with the grandparents and grandkids.
Text-This is one of the simplest ways to send a sweet message to your grandkids. Most kids, depending on their age, have a phone nowadays. Taking time out to just send a message will provide a sense of "I am just thinking about you" which we all can use every now and then.
Phone Call-Picking up the phone to just hear your grandchildren voice can be seen as the most sentimental gesture. Maybe because it is the most old fashion way of communicating with someone. This provides an opportunity for grandparents to just hold a conversation and see how their grandchildren are doing overall.

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6 Fun Ways to Build On Your Relationship With Your Grandchildren While Living Far Away

This sweet couple travels often to see and spend time with their very first grandbaby

Travel-This can be a two way street. Grandparents or the parents of the kids could make travel arrangements to visit one another. Depending on how far you live this can be either a road trip or an airport visit. Whichever way catches your attention it should be worth the travel. It is always exciting to travel knowing you will be seeing some sweet faces and receiving a great big hug. Remember along the way to stop and pick up a souvenir or small gift for your special grandbabies.
Eat Dinner Together-This is a great idea to implement with your grandchildren. In my post it gives the benefits of conversation. Find out what time the family is eating dinner and schedule to eat at the same time they do. You can use facetime, zoom, google duo, or any other app that provides you the opportunity to sit, talk, and even see one another while eating.
Mailing A Card-Sending a card to your grandchild whether it is something you bought or made will definitely put a smile on their face. This small gesture can ignite the action to return the favor. Within the card you can send a message of how much you miss them. You could also ask them a question and have them mail you a card back with the answer. If you are not big into writing, just send a simple I love you and can't wait to see you again in person. Whatever you decide to write or draw in your card it will continue to aid in the development of the relationship you are wanting to build. Remember the age of your grandbaby doesn't matter. If they are too young to read that is what the parents are for or they can save the cards in a safe place to have ready for your grandchild when they get a bit older (how sweet will that be).
Share Photos-One sentimental way to stay connected and close to your grandchildren is to send and share photos. There is something about just seeing the face of your loved ones. I truly believe this is a very important idea to put into practice, especially for long distance relationships. Kids grow and change so quickly and if you're not careful time will pass you by without you even knowing. Using special apps and social media platforms will keep you updated on your family extension life and development over the years. This will allow grandparents to see their grandchildren grow up. For additional information on apps that are family friendly to share photos stop by and read 8 Best photo sharing app for families
Play a Game-What is so amazing about this idea is that you don't have to be in the same room to do it. Technology has so many online games that you are able to interact with others that are in another space. Take a look at 17 of the best online games to play as a family Use one of the above tips to connect and interact such as the app Zoom. This way you are able to see one another and have the opportunity to share your screen on the device you are using so you all are looking at the same screen. How awesome is that. It sounds like game night to me.
Read a Story During Bedtime-Incorporating a little technology such as skype, facetime, or google duo you are able to be a part of your grandchildren's bedtime routine. Find out what your grandchild loves to see and hear about and search for a great bedtime book to read. This is such a special way to continue building on your relationship with your younger grandchildren. They will appreciate this special bond one day. Explore some great children book collections on amazon below to add to your grandparent collection or a gift for your grandkids.

When we live far away from one another as a family and can't interact the way we would like to, it can take us on an emotional rollercoaster. Grandparents are so important in the lives of our youth today. They spoil our children and provide a certain comfort that others are unable to give. Maybe it's because of their wisdom, smile, or warm hugs. Whatever it is, the benefit of having the technology and resources in this day and time makes the process a bit easier. I hope this article provides you with some easy to use apps for your technology and some fresh ideas to continue building on your long distance relationships.

Your Time to Share

I would love for you to share your thoughts or any other ideas you may have to make long distance relationships grow for grandparents and grandchildren in the comments below. Also fill free to post a picture of grandparents and grandchildren together in your family.

My children's grandparents all live in West Texas. Here are a few sweet pictures taken with their grandpa, granny, and nana to build on the memories.