One of life’s greatest joys is spending time with young children. It doesn’t matter whether the children are your grandchildren, or belong to others. It is the mix of the young and their elders that creates a special kind of magic. It’s two generations wrapped up in a continual give-and-take of, “I think you are just wonderful!” All parties involved wind up falling in love, and it is a love affair that can last a lifetime.

Mid-life brings lots of “musts”: exercise, eat well, keep active, be positive, continue learning, develop mutually nurturing relationships. I suggest adding to that list, “Build a Powerful Bond with a Kid.” That bond-building process will make all the mid-life “musts” easier to accomplish. Being with a kid lets you be a kid—you get a chance to be active, curious, positive, imaginative, silly, goofy, enchanted and connected.

The “kid bond-building process” requires three things: intention, commitment and resources.

The intention is the willingness to make a deep and lasting emotional connection with another human being from birth to adulthood and beyond. The commitment is never to let up on the building and the maintenance of that intention. The resources are all of the free and not-so-free options and opportunities that are available for kid-bonding at home, in your community, on the Internet and around the world.

I have created a working list of resources and activities for you to consider that I have built during my own Build a Powerful Bond with a Kid process with my nine-year-old grandson and four-year-old granddaughter. Experience has taught me that it’s best to do activities with them that we both enjoy. I urge you to do the same. It will make things more enjoyable so that you can create and sustain a long-term commitment.

Home

Reading, arts-and-crafts, cooking, gardening, dancing, singing, playing games, talking, dreaming, photography, conversation, and everyday activities done with happy hearts (laundry, cleaning, home repair, pet care, etiquette, etc.) can create great bonding experiences and be lots of fun for both parties. Some kids live in households where they don’t learn these things, and you can engender in them the satisfaction of a job well done.

Maybe you can introduce (never forcefully) your young ones to something that you love, and encourage a new family tradition. I am a big fan of old movies, and now have a niece in film school who knows more about Hitchcock than any of her fellow students, thanks to some time we spent together enjoying (and discussing) classic films.

Community

Visit art and science museums, parks, and recreation facilities. Participate in programs involving child-specific music, dance, movies and theater performances. Engage in indoor and outdoor sports (bowling, tennis, rock climbing, yoga, martial arts, ball sports, swimming).

Outdoors

Walking, hiking, horseback riding, boating, tennis, biking or fruit picking are all great ways to spend time and energy with young people. Your community probably offers programs that feature some of these activities. Or perhaps visit a national park, which can be an awe-inspiring and fun experience for everyone.

Internet

• www.grandparents.com: Features everyday activities, travel, 100 things to do, activity pages, city guides, travel, movie reviews, toys & gifts, and expert advice.
• www.aarp.org/family/grandparenting: Includes information on childcare, gifts and finances, fun, activities, travel, family challenges, resources and research tools.
• www.familyfriendlyamerica.com: Vacation and travel information for family-friendly locations, activities, kids-eat-free places, state fun facts, hotels and more.
• www.grandfamiliesofamerica.org: “The Only National Organization Whose Membership and Administrative Staff Is Comprised Totally of Relatives Caring 24/7 for Their Relative Children.”

Around the World

• Elderhostel Intergenerational Tours: The largest educational travel company for travelers ages 55 and up, Elderhostel also runs more grandparent/grandchild tours than any other organization, with over 100 different domestic and international itineraries currently scheduled. Programs range in length from a few days to two weeks and may focus on a single city or region or include a full-country tour. Program emphasis is educational, but with decidedly kid-friendly themes. To learn more visit www.elderhostel.org.
• Sierra Club: Sierra Club runs dozens of adventure trips around the globe every year, including a handful of multigenerational and “Just for Grandparents and Grandkids” tours. Some trips are laid-back and allow you to participate in organized hikes and other activities or plan some of your own outings. Others are more structured and education-focused. To learn more, visit www.sierraclub.com.
• Grandtravel: Grandtravel offers carefully researched itineraries and upscale inclusions. Each Grandtravel tour balances activities that are fun and educational for both generations with private time and some separate happenings just for the kids. The company offers about 14 different itineraries, with most trips scheduled during the summer, although there are a few options for winter and spring break. Tours are available in the U.S., Europe, Australia, and Africa. To learn more, visit www.grandtrvl.com.

Carol Segrave is President of Segrave & Associates, an Executive Coaching and Retirement Planning Consulting firm. She can be reached at carol@segraveassociates.com.