It is difficult to find a group of strangers who can agree on the best baseball team, the best cheeseburger in town, or the best way to spend a summer afternoon (an air-conditioned nap!). But if there’s one idea we can all rally around, it’s that grandparents are awesome. It’s great to be a grandparent, and as any kid with a sweet tooth or a strict parent can confirm, it’s a blessing to have one.
To update the old saying: If nothing is going well, FaceTime your grandmother.
At Brandermill Woods, we’re grateful for the fellowship of grandparents every day. Our retirement community brings together folks from Chesterfield, Midlothian, Richmond, and beyond to enjoy the fruits of a lifetime of hard work, including raising kids who now have kids of their own. In celebration of National Grandparents Day on September 8th, we encourage you to take time to think through what makes grandparents special and how you can honor the senior adults in your life.
Grand-parenting Is Timeless
The official anthem for National Grandparents Day is A Song for Grandma and Grandpa, and it leans heavily on the evergreen aspects of grand-parenting. Trips to the zoo, the circus, and the ballpark. Fishing at the lake. Making family memories. And Grandma’s cookies! They may not be as healthy as mom’s, but—don’t tell her—perhaps they’re just a bit tastier.
President Jimmy Carter signed the National Grandparents Day proclamation more than 40 years ago, but the fundamental principles of honoring our elders still apply today. Kids may expect their parents to keep pace with a fast-changing world, but there is something ageless about grandparents. They help us enjoy life’s enduring pleasures and teach us lessons based on hard-won wisdom.
Generosity in the Golden Years
Grandparents are generous not only with their time, and cookies, but also with their money. AARP cited a 2017 survey by TD Ameritrade that revealed grandparents spend about $2,400 per year to benefit their grandkids. And that’s just in cash! According to the same survey, parents say they save an average of $300 per week thanks to grandparental services like babysitting.
National Grandparents Day is an opportunity to acknowledge their many kindnesses. And should the opportunity arise, you might also tip your hat to one of the estimated 2.7 million grandparents who are raising their grandchildren. That’s something that has no price tag.
Grandparents Galore
According to The New York Times, Census Bureau data reveals there are more grandparents in the U.S. than ever before, approximately 70 million as of 2014. In other words, almost one-third of all adults over the age of 30 are grandparents.
This is a win-win trend for grandparents and their grandkids. In fact, Pew Research Center found that people report two primary benefits of aging: spending more time with family and spending more time with grandkids. But most of us don’t need to consult a think tank to remember why “hanging out with Gran and Gramps” ranks high among the best parts of childhood.
Grandparents in the Community
Grandparents Day is a worthy addition to the calendar, but it’s just one day. Multiply it by 365 and you’ll get a sense of senior living at Brandermill Woods. Every day, we honor our senior adults with plenty of opportunities to live life to the fullest, with exceptional on-site dining, amenities that include a wellness center, and an action-packed social calendar.
By choosing independent living, assisted living or memory care, they’re spending less time on daily chores, which is why many of our residents also find more time for grand-parenting. Bike rides around the lake. Home-baked treats in the kitchen. Video calls to the farthest-flung reaches of the world. Strolls just around the corner. At Brandermill Woods, we take care of the details so you can focus on making memories to last a lifetime.
