Positive Parenting From Generation to Generation By Jodi Kurry Cohen, MS.Ed, Director of Early Childhood Programs Temple Dor Dorim Early Childhood Center
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his year I lost both my grandmothers, bringing me to the hard realization that all of my grandparents are gone. I realized there’s something that happens when you lose people who were so much a part of your childhood. Their passing opens up a floodgate of memories that brings you back to the time when you were tiny, growing up, and you see that person as they were, so many years ago. Recently, when writing my grandmother’s eulogy, I seemed to recall silly things like brushing my teeth over my grandma’s toilet (her solution to me not being able to reach the sink) and the little glass bowls of candy she had strategically placed in spots I had memorized around her house. I envisioned her in a green dress baking cookies and I remembered playing dress-up with her handbags and hats, painting my face with her bright lipsticks, and dousing myself in her assorted perfumes. I also recalled emotional moments like watching my grandmother dote on my grandfather, the way she hugged me when I was hurt or squeezed my hand in a difficult moment, and how she beamed with pride at my graduations. Most of all, I recalled her words of wisdom: “If you feel the urge to laugh at an inappropriate time, think sad thoughts” or “It will be what it will be,” and I realized the impact her words had made on me. Fostering the love between a child and their grandparent, can be one of the most rewarding relationships in a child’s life. If children are fortunate enough to have grandparents, or even great grandparents, in their lives there is so much more to be
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nurtured in a relationship beyond the occasional meal or holiday. There are lessons to be learned, unique experiences to be had, and a familial tie to be developed that can be carried on from generation to generation. When grandparents live close by, weekly visits and special trips to such places as a museum or the zoo are great ways to bond. Finding a hobby to do together like a craft or magic are also great ways for generations to connect. It’s not as easy when grandparents live far away but that doesn’t mean this challenge can’t be overcome. It may mean vacations planned specifically to spend time with grandparents, books read on “laps” or hobbies that are shared via Skype, Face Time and phone calls that are frequent. Whether grandparents live close or far, it comes down to priority and the effort made to carve a niche of time each week to form those special ties. Being reminded of just how precious those relationships were for me as a child, I’ve vowed to make sure, while the opportunity is there, that my children continue to grow these special bonds. Jodi Cohen has a Masters degree in Elementary and Early Childhood Education as well as a Bachelor degree in Psychology. Jodi has led many workshops on parenting, behavior modification techniques, curriculum development, special needs training and crisis management. She has been the Director of Temple Dor Dorim’s Early Childhood Center in Weston for the past 12 years. For more information, please contact Ms. Cohen at the Early Childhood Center at (954) 389-1232.
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