Celebrating Grandparents Day

September the 8th marks National Grandparents Day in the United States and families across the country will be taking the time to honor the older generation and help to make their grandparents and parents feel loved. Just the same as we have Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, it’s only fair to dedicate a day to our grandparents. After all, they’ve done so much for us and have a lot of stories to tell about their exciting lives.

National Grandparents Day

It may feel as though National Grandparents day has always been around but did you know that the day was only made official in 1978?  Considering Mother’s Day and Father’s day have been around so long, since the early 1900’s. It’s strange to consider that it took a while for Grandparents day to be made official. In the US, the creation of the official day has to be credited to Marian McQuade. Her grassroots campaign led to President Jimmy Carter eventually signing National Grandparents day into law. McQuade began her efforts to honor grandparents nationwide. She intended to help families feel closer and allow children to receive guidance and wisdom from their elders. Mrs. McQuade started her drive to get grandparents their own day in 1970 and 8 years later achieved her goal. As the grandmother of 43 children and great-grandmother to another 10, she certainly deserved a National grandparent’s day as much as anyone!

It’s important to make sure your grandparents still feel loved and part of the family as they age as older generations are more likely to feel isolated or left out from family events. National Grandparent’s day gives a great opportunity for you to spoil your grandparents and make sure they have an amazing day with all the family. If you’re stuck for ideas on how best to treat your grandparent’s on this upcoming day then we’ve got you covered.

Ideas for celebrating National Grandparents day

You could send a bunch of flowers or a nice card, as with other occasions. If you want to make your grandparents really happy, however, you should think about treating them with a gift or special day. Here are a few ideas to help you out:

Enjoy a family meal together

Get the whole family round to enjoy a nice meal with everyone joining in the celebration. Mealtimes are a great way to get everyone together and in a good mood, your grandparents will appreciate the gesture, especially if you add some extra thought into the day. There are lots of different ways you can make this more unique for your grandparents, take them to their favorite restaurant, cook them a special family recipe that they love or have an outdoor tea party or picnic at a park so they can watch the children play as they enjoy their food.

Create a history of their lives

There can often be a bit of a disconnect between grandparents and the younger generation. A lot of kids have trouble imagining their grandparents and great-grandparents as ever being young! You can help create a lasting bond in your family by interviewing your grandparents about events in their lives. It will be particularly interesting to learn about when they were a child or teenager. Use your phone or video camera to record this interview and include old photos. Eventually, you’ll help build a window into the lives of your grandparents that your family will be able to enjoy forever.

Throw a big party

Some grandparents may love the idea of a big party held in their honor. A National Grandparents day party allows them to spend time with a lot of family members. They’ll be able to interact with everyone from several generations. It will make them feel special knowing that everyone has come together to wish them well. Hopefully, the party will help create many lasting memories for all the family.

Build a family tree together

A lot of websites offer genealogy services. These can help you to construct a clear family tree based on DNA results and old census records. A lot of grandparents would love to see you take an interest in their history. They may also be able to tell you information about your distant relatives which you may not know. Tracing your roots together as a family can certainly help to bring you all closer together.

DIY Gifts

A great gift idea for any grandparent is to construct a photo album of all your family. You can combine new and old pictures to make a charming memento that your grandparents can show to their friends. You could also consider enlisting the help of the children to make DIY crafts such as hand-painted picture frames.

In the end, your grandparents are bound to feel happy, no matter how you choose to celebrate. They’ll feel loved knowing that you chose to spend time with them on this day.

For many of our grandparents, growing old can be a worrying experience. People often tend to become more isolated and dependant on others as they get older. Fear of accidents or a lack of support can leave people feeling anxious about going out. This increased anxiety and worry can lead to them becoming housebound.  For this reason, a medical alert system could also make a great gift. Allowing your grandparents greater independence would be the perfect gift for this year’s National Grandparents Day.

Medical Alert Systems

In the event of an emergency, a medical alert system can signal to trained personnel that there is a problem. The device will allow the user to speak to emergency services at the push of a button. This means they can call for help no matter what the issue is. Newer models of medical alert systems can also be wearable. This gives the user more independence and the ability to leave the house comfortably. They’ll be able to relax knowing that they are safe in case of an emergency.

There are many benefits to such a device but mainly they can be a big help in boosting the confidence of a more vulnerable person. It can give peace of mind to the user. As they’ll know that they can call for help in the event of an accident. Some systems such as the MobileHelp are even programmed to automatically detect a fall or accident, meaning that if a serious accident were to occur, the emergency services would still be called.

Your grandparent will be happy to receive such a useful gift. You’ll also be happier knowing that they now have more independence and mobility, despite their increasing years. You can find full, impartial reviews on a number of top medical alert systems online. Make sure you compare all of the features and prices to find the best available deals.

It’s worth taking the time this National Grandparents Day to consider your more elderly relatives.  No matter who they are, you can ensure that they still enjoy time with their families. And with a medical alert system, feel safe to go about their daily activities. Whichever way you celebrate the special day we hope that you and your family all have a great time together!