Grandparenting an Athlete

It has been an exciting school year. The younger granddaughters are learning gymnastics as they advance in their ballet classes and performances. Our middle school grandson has completed a full season of cross country. Our passionate middle school granddaughter juggles a full schedule of select soccer and volleyball. And our older grandchild loves to sail and snow ski. Our greatest challenge is to be fully present for each grandchild as we watch them compete and follow their passions. Each has their individualized preferences for how we are present for their various activities. All request various levels of encouragement. Some love us to cheer loudly while others want us to observe quietly. The older grandkids accommodate our support while the younger grandkids want our full-time participation at all events. Thankfully, we are the grandparents. Our only job is to support each grandchild with their preferred level of support and drive them to an event when requested.

Organizing the Sports/Activity Calendar

At the beginning of the school year, I contact each grandchild and ask them how much they want us involved in the sport and activity schedule. The younger they are, the more they want our attention. Once they express their wishes, I organize our activity attendance schedule. The twins love to show me their recent new dance and gymnastics steps at home.  We are only required to drive them to class sometimes and are committed to attending formal performances twice a year. The middle school grandson’s schedule conflicted with the twins’ dance schedule. We volunteered to manage driving for the grandson’s Tuesday schedule while the parents and a babysitter shared driving for the twins’ schedule. I loved watching all cross country meets with our middle school grandson because he was passionate and excited about this new sport. We were encouraged to take photos at all events and share with our extended family. What a wonderful achievement! The older grandkids loved to have us attend many activities until middle school. Once in middle school we distanced ourselves as friends are very important and carpools are wonderful.

Cheering for a Grandchild Athlete

Next, we learned how to cheer for each child at their specific event. The ballet recitals were very disciplined so we quietly enjoyed the performances and awarded each twin with flowers after their performance when we all posed for family photos. The middle school cross country grandson loved having us cheer for him and his team. The coach encouraged outstanding teambuilding cheering for all athletes participating in the race. We took photos at each event and circulated them to family members. The older grandkids thanked us for coming and focused on their sport with their teammates. We were encouraged to cheer holistically for the team and remain calm and quiet.

 What I Have Learned from the Coaches

The following are guidelines I have learned from coaches after years of team participation as an athlete, parent, and now a grandparent:

1. Be present for the entire team.
2. Listen to the coach and follow the rules.
3. Reinforce the coach’s rules with your athlete.
4. Cheer for the entire group of participants.
5. Don’t coach your athlete or the team from the observation areas.
6. Be positive at all times.
7. Don’t distract with unnecessary chatter.
8. Bring snacks that nourish your athlete and the team.
9. Offer support or help when requested from the coach.
10. Model positive sportsmanship for all attendees at a sporting event.

When I consider the value of team sports, I am thankful that all our grandkids value their experiences in their selected sports and team activities. This participation overcomes isolation and encourages lifetime friendships. It helps our grandchildren learn how to effectively work with teams at home, school, and eventually in their jobs and careers.

Share your experiences as a parent or grandparent supporting your athletes in the comments section below this blog.

Acts of Kindness Monthly Calendar

Happy new year 2024! Each year many of us make new year’s resolutions and will fail fulfilling them within the first few weeks. This year I made the commitment to help our younger family members give back to their community. Planning should not overwhelm our family when considering their demanding schedules. To overcome this challenge, we convened family meetings with Brandon, Anna, and Maria.

Kindness Acts Calendar

We decided to focus on one act of kindness each month. Listed below is our proposed schedule of activities that might work for your family:

• January: It is cold outside and homeless shelters are filled with families. Donate a few hours at a soup kitchen or give a sack of groceries to our local food bank.
• February: Create 10 handmade valentines for a local senior center or senior nutritional lunch program. Give people who work hard in our community some chocolate candy.
• March: Distribute flowers to the neighbors to celebrate the start of spring.
• April: Make pretty Easter eggs with greetings and deliver to neighbors.
• May: Think of all the mothers we know and wish them a happy Mother’s Day.
• June: Make a lemonade stand and give away tee-shirts to cool off during the hot season.
• July: Clean up the streets from 4^th of July celebrations.
• August: On the first day of school, say good morning to everyone. Tell them that we hope they are happy with their teacher and friends in their class.
• September: Be kind to our parents and do things that our parents love to do with us on Labor Day.
• October: Try not to scare people with our costumes.
• November: Collect donations for the food bank to buy turkeys.
• December: Give new or nearly new toys to the Toys for Tots program.

Activity Reflection

After completing all of these acts of kindness, our family should feel fulfilled, tired, and happy! Much success by sharing your acts of kindness with others.

How We Can Help Each Other in Our Community

We are only in our first weeks of school and students are already prepared to give back to their communities during the ongoing Covid health and wildfire challenges. Many of our students continue to educate each other on what they should do to stay safe during the ongoing pandemic. They are very careful in wearing their masks, sanitizing their hands, and staying a safe distance from each other in the classroom and while playing outside. Many of my students have made posters of safe health practices for their homes and communities.

Community Services

Other students have been active through their church communities and continue to collect food and clothing at distribution sites for fire victims and families who have lost jobs during the pandemic. Other students have collected money through their church and community support agencies. And others volunteer by helping their siblings and friends with homework, child care, and playing on community sports teams.

Students Become Leaders

Our students learn that by being helpful and learning community leadership skills, they are able to overcome daily challenges that prepare them to effectively cope with uncertain times. Their self-esteem increases as they become capable community supporters in their schools and their neighborhoods.

What can you do to support your children in helping in your school, neighborhood, and community?

Much gratitude,

Mary Ann

Heroes Among Us Reading Activity

Looking to find an inspiring hero? You can always find a hero in a good book! Within its captivating pages, read about the life of someone who overcame obstacles, or fought for their rights, or had the integrity to do the right thing even though they may be the odd one out. Consider some of these stories or suggest some of your favorites in the comments below.

Suggested stories or books on “heroes” may include:

After reading the poem or any of the books listed above, you can answer the comprehension questions and submit a comment to GenParenting.com comments.

The Mighty Sequoia

By Jaime Koo

Come, my daughter. Come and hear.

Your mother’s mother, the mighty sequoia

Has a story of grandeur supremely clear.

Winds howled, rain poured, lightning struck severe.

Against all odds and likelihood of survival, she flourished.

Her will to grow and to give life, nature would never interfere.

Come, my Son. come, my dear.

Your father’s father, the mighty sequoia

Has a story of gentleness most sincere.

Broken spirits found strength in his listening ear.

Under his bountiful branches, he bestowed solace and shelter.

His compassionate, comfortable breeze wiped away each tear.

Come, my child, come never fear.

You are the mighty sequoia

A hero with the grit to persevere.

Now and again, the trial of a great fire will come near.

Smoke will blur your vision, flames will threaten to devour.

Stand tall. You are much stronger than you appear.

Come, my child, come never fear.

In the face of adversity,

In the spirit of the people,

In the fury of the fire,

You are the legacy of the mighty sequoia,

A hero with the grit to persevere.

Ask your children the following questions after reading the poem or another selected book:

• Did you enjoy this story? Why or why not?
• What was the difficulty that the main character was facing? How would you have reacted in that situation?
• Imagine how this story might be different if it were set in a different culture or time?
• Do you know anyone in real life who reminds you of a character in this story?
• What are some character traits that you like about the main character in the story? What did they do to demonstrate that trait?
• What are some things you can do this week to help others?
• Does this story remind you of any other stories you’ve read? What is similar?

Listed below are relevant California Common Core Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy that support elementary school learners:

• Kindergarten – With prompting and support, compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in familiar stories.
• Grade 1 – Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.
• Grade 2 – Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.
• Grade 3 – Describe characters in a story (e.g. their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events.
• Grade 4 – Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
• Grade 5 – Compare and contrast stories in the same genre on their approaches to similar themes and topics.

Giving Thanks on Thanksgiving Day

It is a very difficult year in America. We continue to struggle with the COVID-19 Pandemic. Many families do not have sufficient food supplies and cannot pay their bills. Some do not have jobs or have lost significant income. And still others are depressed and cannot meet their own needs and the needs of family members. Then millions of America’s students are forced to learn remotely with closed schools. Millions suffer from racism. Millions also have been forced to evacuate or lost their homes to extreme weather from climate change.

As we approach another Thanksgiving holiday, we must consider how we can safely celebrate the day with our family and friends. As a senior citizen, I will continue to social distance from all five grandkids and our extended family.

Summarized below are some things, I continue to be thankful for:

• Healthy living and being able to give back to my family and friends
• A spiritual connection with nature and the community
• The love and support of family, friends, students, and community members
• A commitment to hiking, exercising, and achieving a balanced life
• Participation in various creative activities including writing, watercolor artwork, and crafting

As you prepare for your Thanksgiving event, you may want to encourage your children to list their thankful thoughts. Some families create a family tree structure and cut out leaf tracings on colored construction paper. Your children and family members can write a thankful thought on each cut leaf and then stick or hang the leaf on the tree structure.

Much serenity as you share your grateful thoughts with each other this holiday season.

Hugs,

Mary Ann

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