Helping Your Child Connect With The Elderly

Knowing how to communicate with people of different ages and backgrounds is an essential communication skill to have which can help bring you closer to those around you. Being in a care home can be particularly lonely for the elderly and research suggests that family visits can improve their mental health. 

We have paired up with an independent school in Leatherhead to share the ways that your child can connect with the elderly.

Share Fond Memories

A lovely way to spend time with an elderly relative is to bring out their family photo album. This allows them to reminisce their youth and most dear memories while allowing your child to learn more about them. In the process, your child can learn all about your family history.

Video Call

With all the interruptions of Covid, many elderly people have found their way around a tablet and picked up video calling. If not, this is a great opportunity for your tech-savvy child to teach them. A video call allows your child to visit their grandparents even when a-far and remind them that they are thinking of them.

Play a Board Game

So long as there’s not a competitive streak in the family, a board game can provide a great way for your child to bond with their grandparents. A game of Guess Who and Monopoly can be engaging for your child and allow them to improve on their problem-solving too.

Going For A Walk

A walk can help your child and their grandparents to get in some more steps for the day to improve their health. It also clears the mind by releasing the chemical serotonin into the brain, creating a soothing effect for the body and relieving anxiety. On their walk, their grandparents can tell them all about the history of their town.

Support Their Hobbies

Hobbies can bring a lot of comfort to the elderly and could be something that your child helps them with. You can put an activity basket together to keep them occupied. This could include a new copy of a knitting magazine, more wool and accessories. 

This might also be an opportunity to get your child involved in a hobby too. Encourage your child to ask their grandparents about what they like to do in their spare time and see if they can join in too.