Kids Who Are Deeply Loved By Their Grandparents Usually Carry 6 Memories For The Rest Of Their Lives
Weston | Shutterstock When grandparents truly love their grandchildren unconditionally, they prioritize making memories together.
Grandparents are such a special thing, and are there for their grandkids from the moment they're born. They offer support and spoil them endlessly, but they also create lifelong memories in childhood that they carry into the rest of their lives.
6 memories kids remember for life when they are deeply loved by their grandparents:
1. Special holiday traditions
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Deeply loving grandparents often create little traditions, especially when the holidays arrive.
Maybe you have a grandmother who always baked her secret recipe pumpkin rolls every Thanksgiving. Or on Halloween, your grandparents invited you over so you could surprise them in your costume.
These traditions may seem perfectly ordinary, but they have a special place in your heart. And even though you're no longer a kid, you continue these traditions to honor your grandparents, looking back on lovely memories.
As psychologist Michele L. Brennan said, "Holiday traditions are an important part to building a strong bond between family, and our community. They give us a sense of belonging and a way to express what is important to us."
2. Eating sweets at their house
As a kid with childlike wonder, you likely noticed that your grandparents had a jar of candy or sweets sitting on the kitchen counter. It was usually out of reach, but when you would go over to their home, grandma and grandpa would treat you to something delicious.
Even if you tried to sneak a snack, removing the lids on jars or making lots of noise, your grandparents would barge into the kitchen and let you have it anyway.
3. Being spoiled
Visits to your grandparents' house may have been few and far between, so they tried to make up for it by spoiling you as a child.
They allowed you to stay up past your bedtime. They bought you toys at the store. They let you run around the house like a wild child. And they did it all even if your own parents told them no.
According to researcher Sarah Scott, "Staying closely involved with the grandchildren gives many grandparents a sense of purpose and connection that supports their own well-being and adds to their life's purpose. And spoiling them a little is part of that engagement."
4. Receiving sentimental gifts
Loving grandparents are ones that pay attention to what their grandchildren want. They learn about the doll or bike they've been asking for, and make that child's wishes come true.
Even if it's a present that their grandchildren never even thought of, it can still hold sentimental value even years later. But perhaps the most sentimental gift of all is the time and energy grandparents spend with their grandkids, giving them positive memories to look back on as they move through life.
5. Passing down wisdom
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The most important thing grandchildren can take away from their grandparents is knowledge. You might remember your grandfather telling long stories about his time flying planes, or how your grandmother met your grandfather when they were young.
Whatever wise tale was told, you learned about human experiences that seemed impossible at times. When grandparents tell stories and pass down wisdom, they're also creating a sense of belonging and identity.
"When children hear stories about their ancestors they learn about their family's legacy, fostering stronger bonds and connections. These experiences also give grandparents the opportunity to talk to little ones about their cultural heritage," experts from the State Library of Queensland said.
Without knowing it, you also turned those stories into lessons you took with you as you grew up. You learned that life is messy, but it's also wonderful and that your grandparents lived amazing lives. It made you want to become a version of them or even follow in their footsteps.
6. Celebrating achievements
Whatever milestones you may have reached in life, from taking your first steps to graduating college, your grandparents were always there to celebrate.
That's probably the greatest thing your grandparents can do: offer their support and show how proud they are of the person their grandchild has become. They love you deeply and they show that just by showing up or by expressing their joy.
Allison Peterson is a writer with a degree in English from the University of Nevada, Reno. She writes on relationships, lifestyle, and mental health topics.
