Maryland Community Newspapers Online
My father loved geography. He collected maps from all over the world and subscribed to National Geographic. This was a love that he would pass on to my son. It was not unusual to see my father with his grandson, heads together, pouring over a map of some foreign country, gaining an understanding of its people and its government.
My father taught my son how to read a map and what the map legend meant. It was a wonderful experience not just because he was teaching the intricacies of the map but because he was passing on his love of geography.
At a school fair during a silent auction, I bid on a subscription to National Geographic "National Geographic World", now known as "National Geographic Kids" for my son. My son was so proud to have a magazine like his granddad's. During a back to school night that my husband and I attended when my son was in middle school, his geography teacher wanted to know if he had a tutor. I told him, "Just my dad."
I always loved the interaction that I witnessed between my parents and their grandchild. My mom and dad doted on my son as only grandparents can do and I was grateful that the wisdom that they used when raising my brothers and me was the same that I witnessed them use with my son.
My parents provided encouragement and companionship and were an added role model for my son. They shared with my son our family's history and our values, customs and beliefs.
Because my father was a native Washingtonian and my mother spent nearly all of her life in the District, they were able to provide a first-hand perspective on the history of the Washington D.C., region.
These days the traditional role of the grandparent has taken on a new persona. Grandparents have had to take over the reins as surrogate parents for various reasons. According to the AARP Web site approximately one in 12, or 4.5 million U.S. children, are living in grandparent-headed households.
It may be because there was the death of a parent or a parent is away in the military. It may simply be because a child was having problems with his or her social environment and needed a change.
In any case, having a grandparent to turn to when times are difficult can be a Godsend. Whether grandparents live near or far, we need to value their vital role in child development and respect their ability to sweeten our children's lives tremendously. Tapping into this wonderful resource will enrich each family member's life.
This Sunday is Grandparents Day. According to www.grandparents-day.com, the incentive for a National Grandparents Day originated with Marian McQuade, a housewife in Fayette County, W.Va. Her primary motivation was to champion the cause of lonely and elderly in nursing homes.
President Jimmy Carter, in 1978, proclaimed that National Grandparents Day would be celebrated every year on the first Sunday after Labor Day.
