Do you still remember your best moments from the summer holidays when you were a child? I do. Most of my happiest memories are connected to my grandparents—either to them as people or to the homes they created.
Our children are no different. The only difference is that they don’t have the opportunity to spend a weekend with their grandparents whenever they would like. That is why they cherish those long summer holidays surrounded by love, care, and a little extra pampering that we, as parents, don’t always allow.
Living abroad means our children rarely get to see their grandparents. Of our families, only my mother-in-law is able to visit us in Finland. She doesn’t come often, but she visits at least once a year, and her arrival is always a great joy. She has endless patience, gives the warmest hugs, and makes the best food imaginable. She never gets tired of talking with the children and is genuinely interested in everything they want to share, never judging them. She is the only person who can persuade our teenager to leave the bedroom and go for a walk. And she is never too busy to make pancakes.
An even bigger adventure begins when the children get to stay at their grandparents’ house without us. The sky is the limit, and the kids are in heaven. Grandpa plans the menu a week in advance just to make sure his grandson gets to eat everything he loves. Strawberries with whipped cream for breakfast, cotton candy as a snack, and ice cream in the afternoon. In a single day, the sugar intake reaches what would normally last an entire week. But who cares? Everyone is happy, and I’m not there to stop the madness.
The greatest adventures happen while exploring the cellar or the hidden corners of the garden. There are treasures everywhere: old books, sports equipment from the ’80s, pinecones, furniture that belonged to great-grandparents, and, of course, Grandpa’s workshop, filled with tools, screws, nails, and all sorts of mysterious objects waiting to be discovered.
Summer days with grandparents are not only about exciting trips where almost everything is allowed. They are also about collecting snail shells and creating a little exhibition in the garden. They are about washing pinecones in water to watch them close and then open again as they dry. They are about picking berries and eating them all day long, grilling sausages in the garden, and countless other little adventures that become unforgettable memories.
What I really want to say is that the love, care, and genuine interest of grandparents are irreplaceable. The relationship between grandparents and grandchildren is unique, bringing out the very best in both generations.
It keeps grandparents active, curious, and involved, while giving children a place where they feel completely accepted and loved simply for who they are.
I was fortunate enough to have both of my grandmothers in my life well into adulthood. My grandfathers passed away when I was a teenager, but my grandmothers were with me until I was 32 and 41 years old. One of them even had the chance to meet her great-grandchildren. She adored them and would have given them the world.
Living abroad sometimes makes it difficult to maintain close relationships with grandparents, but I truly believe it is worth every effort. It is good for us, for our parents, and most importantly, for our children. Their lives would be so much poorer without their grandparents in them. Grandparents help shape their personalities, broaden their view of the world, and leave them with memories and values that last a lifetime.
