Most parents and grandparents have noticed that their kids and grandkids loved collecting things at one point or another. It could be rocks they find outside, seashells they seek out whenever they're at the beach or a specific kind of toy. Growing up, my mom and dad encouraged us to collect coins that turned into a rather large coin collection. It's fascinating why children collect things, but the main reason is that it's fun. Kids get to learn more about things they enjoy, and it's interesting for them. 

Thinking back to when I grew up, life was simple. Not only did I play outside with no adult supervision, I remember playing in the street. We played tennis, kickball and even baseball in the street. As cars would come, we would step aside and resume the game after they passed. When the street lights came on, we headed home. Walking a mile to school at four years old didn't seem unusual at the time. Or our summer excursion to the library to pick out books were all unsupervised. In first grade, I was responsible for walking home from school to make my dad his lunch. I would arrive at an empty house, except for our dachshund, Jadwiga. On the menu, soup, and sandwich. My mom pre-made the sandwich before she went to work; the soup, however, required a can opener and heating it up on the stove. All this taught me responsibility, independence, and confidence. However, things changed when I became a mom.

Parents inherently want their children to succeed. They stress the importance of “excellence” for their child. As a baby, they may start teaching their child baby sign language to boaster their cognitive ability. They can be eager to sign up their three-year-old up for ballet or, in this case, for wrestling. Yes, as a parent, I am guilty of arranging for art classes, gymnastics, swimming, and more, all before the age of four. As parents, we fear not having that jump-start will forever put them behind in academia, the arts, or sports. However, as a prospective grandparent, I have a different viewpoint.

If you didn't raise your hand, I would share that once you get the "grandparent" moniker, you will be relegated to the "old" category. Yes, I know that it may be far from the truth, but as they say, perception is reality. A check of Merriam-Webster Dictionary tells us that "The definition of old is advanced in age or having been around for a while.”

What can you learn from Grandma’s wringer washing machine?

If there's one household appliance most of us could not do without, it's the washing machine. We all need to use them. Most of us use it at least once a week. We may have to drive to a laundromat, go down to the basement, or down the hall to complete the function of washing. We gather our dirty items and carry them judiciously to our laundry area, load the machine and entertain ourselves for 45 minutes before we move our items to the dryer. But the dryer will be a story for another day.

News alert!

I was not a perfect parent! And guess what? There is no such thing as a perfect grandparent either!

I know, I know, that's shocking, but if we are going to take our role as intentional grandparents seriously, then we also must be confident and courageous enough to take our blinders off. Now, if you are like me, it has been a few years since we were actively parenting, and our memory is probably a little vague. At least mine is.

As a youngster, I was raised in a family business, a mom-and-pop convenience store.  My mom started work at 5:30 am every morning, even on Christmas.  She brought in the newspapers, opened the cash registers for the day, and straightened the shelves to ensure everything was in order.  She would continue the day by waiting on the customers, restocking the shelves, ordering new inventory, and scheduling the other family members' work schedules since only family worked in the business.  Endless amounts of cash would go in and out of the store, trips to the bank for deposits, and stacks of bills to count.  As early as six years old, I would join her at the store to help before school.  Throughout my childhood, I learned our family's core values by working alongside my mother.

Another great way to interact and connect with extended family members, particularly older generations, is to gather together and share or record memories. How can you record your family's memories for the next generation?