How can grandparents and extended family bond with my child?

Your parents love their grandchild, but you can’t help wondering if they’re spending enough time together. Meanwhile, you’re busy juggling work, nursery and trying to spend time with your little one. Is it okay for your extended family to help out? How can you make it a bonding experience for both your little one and your loved ones?

It’s a lovely feeling when you introduce your little one to their extended family. Children benefit from a loving support network at all stages of their life, and it’s even more important when they’re very young.

So, what can your extended family do to improve their bond with your child?

Why is it essential for your child to bond with your extended family?

Whilst most of their early life will be spent interacting with you, your child should get used to the different individuals that make up your family.

This helps develop their social skills by interacting with different people of different ages. It also increases their feelings of nurture and love. They can learn about different walks of life, for example, what it was like for their grandparents as children.

If they have cousins at a similar age, it helps prepare them for nurseries and, eventually, school. Plus, it sets the foundation for life-long friendships.

Now that we know it’s important to bond with their extended family, what activities can they do together?

How can we all spend bonding time together?

Here are some ideas for families to do together:

Go to the zoo or the aquarium, which both adults and children will enjoy.

Museums are a fantastic opportunity for extended family members to teach your little one.

Grandparents and grandchildren can spend quality time together on a stroll in the park.

If possible, they take your little one to a short play or concert for children, which are designed to be short but fun!

How can we spend time together, even if we can’t meet in person?

There are plenty of ways for a child to communicate and interact with their extended family, even if you’re not in the same location:

Telephone calls are an obvious option here. Let your child explain their daily activities, and what they’ve been playing with their friends. It may be helpful for grandparents and extended family to keep notes, to discuss topics for the next phone call.

Video calling is increasingly popular these days. This allows your extended family, and your child, to express their feelings on camera. You may like to help to set this up for grandparents, or those who have a tough time with modern technology.

If grandparents are old-school, sending and receiving letters in the post can be a terrific way to build a relationship. Plus, the grandparents get to keep any art or writing that their grandchild sends.

If old photos have been digitised, it can be lovely to receive them from family members, showing your child their past and memories. This is great for opening up discussions between family members and your child.

Calling to say happy birthday, and special occasions like Christmas, Diwali, or Hanukkah is important, especially on occasions when you can’t all meet in person.

As essential as these points are, nothing beats seeing people in person. Even if it’s only a few hours every so often, real-life contact and communication are the key to developing meaningful relationships.

What if they spend time without me, the parent?

Actually, it can be nice for children to spend some alone time with their grandparents, uncles, and aunts! This can be great for developing close relationships between your child and their extended family. Many families live close together, so it may even be convenient if the parent is busy or has significant work to do. Here are some tips to remember if your child might be spending the day with extended family without you:

As a member of the family, they’re not just ‘another babysitter’ - they have a fundamental connection with your child! You should take advantage of this irreplaceable role. Remember, you’re not just passing your child onto them, but rather allowing for invaluable bonding times. See it as an opportunity, rather than feeling guilty about being away from your child.

Whoever is spending time with your child, make sure that they’re up-to-date on child safety and medical practices. This might involve you having to set rules about car safety, or bumps and bruises. It’s great when everyone is on the same page about childcare and safety.

If being picked up or dropped off at school, add your family member to your school’s list of responsible guardians. This will solve any headaches that might happen when your child gets picked up at the end of the day.

How can grandparents and extended family bond with my child?

Unii shares how to help multiple generations of your family bond with your baby.