Long Distance Grandma: The Kissing Hand

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

The Kissing Hand

I love this book and it is an easy transition to a video conversation with your grandchild. I sent heart stickers ahead of time, so during the call, Chase can also put a heart on his hand and cheek. And of course, read the book together!!

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About Me

My grandson moved to Japan on his first birthday. With Skype and Facetime, I wasn’t worried about staying connected to my daughter and her family. I didn’t expect it to be so hard to engage Chase on our calls. Over time, I realized how he saw our calls. When children that age watch TV or a movie, they have a glazed look on their face. They don’t answer back or interact. Initially our conversations lasted a few seconds before he would wander off to play. Lindsay would keep the camera on Chase so I could watch him play, but that wasn’t enough. I wanted him to know who I was and have fun things we do together. I decided to become Sesame Street to him, only better, because I could personalize it to him.

This was going to require some planning ahead. I needed to remember the words to fun songs and stories. I might send props ahead of time so we both could have the same toy or book. I’m not an expert in entertaining toddlers, so I have enlisted assistance from friends who have training and experience with preschoolers.

The good news is this is temporary. As your grandchildren get older, they will be better at video conversations with you. I hope it will be easier when grandson #2 gets older (he was born 7/10/14). I think he will copy his big brother and catch on quickly.

When talking to other grandparents who don’t live close to their grandchildren, I heard the same frustrations from them. I hope we can make this blog a forum for sharing creative ideas to build a fun relationship with your grandkids.

I can be contacted at dana_barnes@comcast.net for any feedback and questions. If you have suggestions for a future video idea, let me know!!

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Tuesday, December 16, 2014

The Kissing Hand

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