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Because We Care

Providing In-home Personal Care

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The holiday season is here and there is always so much to do.  But your time does not have to be stressful.  Why not join many seniors who have experienced the joy of the holiday season by sharing traditions?  You can use the opportunity of the holidays to help with hectic family schedules and have fun while passing on family traditions.

As you prepare to decorate your home and tree, think about adding in crafts you can do with your grandchildren.  You may be surprised at their creative decorating ideas when you give them a little encouragement.  You and your grandchildren can pick pine cones to decorate with paint and glitter, sew ornaments, create unique gift tags for presents, or make a garland of threaded beads for the Christmas tree.  What other crafts can you think of that you can share with a child?

Before electronics, there were board games, playing cards and photo albums to keep us busy.  The holidays make a great time to bring out games and albums to share with your loved ones.  Sharing past experiences or playing games helps everyone slow down so you can enjoy time together.  Plus, think about the conversations you can start!  Children are curious and have plenty of questions to help build your stories.

Consider baking with the family.  Do you remember your time in the kitchen as your mother showed you how to bake cookies, pies and cakes?  This was such a special time and a great way to bond.  Now is a wonderful time to share this experience with your grandchildren.  Consider how much fun it would be for children when you show them how to use the cookie cutter designs to make cookies and then decorate them with the many fabulous colors in sprinkles, frosting and candies.  And imagine their surprise when you cut cookie dough shapes using the rim of a cup!  Include the children in your design for a gingerbread house.  Or give them a smaller version of a gingerbread house to make alongside you as you make yours.  After all, you can never have too many gingerbread houses.

You never know what you might learn while preparing holiday meals with your family.  There is no time like cooking to have a conversation.  And you probably have some great stories to tell.  A conversation about family events from the past sparks questions about history that are a great learning experience for all members of the family.  So while you cut vegetables, peel potatoes, and prepare your feast, let the kids be inquisitive.  Let the conversations start to flow and see where they lead.

Remember that grandparents have a lot to offer the multiple generations living today.  Celebrate with family while sharing the experiences and continuing the traditions of those who passed.  This is a great way to fill the holiday season with love and laughter.  To further relieve the stress of the holidays, assistance through in-home care is available.  An in-home caregiver can help you with light housekeeping, errands, transportation, pet care and more so your loved ones can have a break and you can do more traditional activities with the family.