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Have I told you I am a planner? This past weekend was my mom’s 90th birthday, and we had the honor of hosting our large family at our home on a beautiful summer day. (“Happy Birthday, Mom!”). And oh how fun it was to plan that party! As the family gathered, some whom we hadn’t seen since before the Pandemic, it was as if we hadn’t been apart. I was struck again, by the power of consistency, because although the party was big, the yard decorated, and the food and desserts amazing, it was really the intentionality of us all staying connected throughout the past year that made the day wonderful.
We believe that the same concept is true in our relationship with our grandkids. Consistency is the number one ingredient when it comes to grandparenting. It is really the consistent connections we have that make the ‘big days’ that much better. So today, we want to talk about possibly the biggest thing that keeps us from being consistent, and what we can do to change it.
We don’t build consistency into our plan.
Amanda and I have learned over and over in our training for work that we want to lead with the end in mind. I don’t want to in any way to infer I don’t believe that, but sometimes I can get a little too focused on ‘the end’, the big finish….the party, the vacation…the perfect relationship with my grandkids! And I focus so much on those ‘big things’ that I begin to drop the ball on the little things that actually pave the way for those bigger moments.
Well then, what can we do?
Check the Plan
I’m taking a look back at the goals I set for connecting with my grandkids at the start of the new year. What is working? Have I been missing anything? What do I need to change? How can I get ‘back to the basics’ of connecting consistently?
Make Some Dates, and Set Some Reminders
I put everything in my planner or my phone. When I add ‘Facetime with Kami’. It is much more likely to happen. We have maybe a couple of minutes of saying new words and smiling before she is done conversing and starts reaching for ‘the pone!’ because she wants to push the buttons. And it is so worth it! We can also set reminders for the things we can do without them too, like sending a pen pal letter, a card, or a ‘thinking of you’ text. When Amanda and I take a moment to check out schedules and plan some connecting times, we are much more likely to actually do them. Imagine that!
Anticipate ‘the Dip’.
In his book, The Dip, Seth Godin states that anything worth pursuing will have a messy middle. There will be days that it just seems nothing is working. And those days are the perfect times to remember our why for doing any of this; because we love our grandkids, and we are committed to staying the course, to encourage them, and to be a positive influence in their lives!
Use Timely Tips
I’m not going to shy away from talking about our product Timely Tips because I’ve experienced the power of having a plan when it comes to my grandkids. I want to have fun with them, I want to make memories with them, I want to play games, do crafts, bake, read, build tents, and more with them. Add instilling important values or character traits to that list for sure! The character trait Timely Tips issues keep things simple. It keeps me focused on what matters most and it saves my time and money for where I want to spend it. I can count on making multiple connection points every month and now you can too! You can read more about it over in the Etsy shop.
What You Do Matters
One of the most inspirational people I have listened to is Reggie Joiner. He stresses that it is what we do ‘over time’ that influences the next generation. Time matters! Words over time. Stories over time. Tribes over time. Fun over time. Love over time. The parties are amazing, but the results of being consistently connected over time bring the greatest reward.