Got to bring my cute Abuelita to be on my @goodthingsutah segment today!!!💕 (Also, the girls dressed themselves!😂😍➡️) Happy Friday, friends!

Benefits of having grandparents involved in our children’s lives:

1. A study in the UK found that having involved grandparents increased children’s emotional intelligence and can decrease some behavioral issues.

2. Knit generations together. Our children can learn SO much from older generations, and vice versa! We can have family stories and values handed down, and kids are able to ask questions. My grandma (my kids’ great grandma) does’t speak English, but my kids still chat with her, they make her laugh, and they still communicate in the sweetest way!

3. Our kids will have lasting memories with them and have a sense of where they come from! Sometimes navigating family relationships can be hard, but it’s worth it to give the kids those memories. My parents are divorced and my dad is re-married, but they have been so great to all show up for the kids at their birthday parties, and other memorable and important events. The kids feel loved, and I’m so grateful that we can gather as a family!

Some things to do with grandparents:

1. Play together! Whether is puzzles, or having dinner, taking a walk, or snuggles, many grandparents are still kids at heart! The activity doesn’t matter as much as the quality time.

2. Interview them. Keep those stories and memories written down, on video, or on voice recordings. This time with them is precious!

Don’t have grandparents? Adopt some!♡

Now, we are soaking in as much as we can with my grandma! But growing up, I didn’t have grandparents who lived nearby. We became close with the cutest grandmas and grandpas in our neighborhood. We took them to grandparents’ day with us at school, and we visited them often. They were a huge part of our childhood, and I’ve been able to introduce many of them to MY kids now. I know many of them loved the company, and they really helped shape us into the people we are today.