Help grandparents feel part of your child’s everyday life

Your child has started calling the neighbor's dog "the mayor." You hear it every morning, so by now it barely registers. Grandma, who lives a few states away, hasn't heard it once.

Tell her. Birthdays and school news give her the big updates, but a sentence about the dog can help her picture the walk you take together each morning and the things your child notices along the way.

Stay with one little scene

Choose something that happened recently. What was your child doing? Include their words if you remember them, then describe what happened next. You can leave the rest of the week's activities for another letter.

A fictional example:

"Sam wants to visit the same tree every time we go out. Yesterday he checked all the leaves he could reach, then told us it was doing well. Apparently we're responsible for it now."

Use the details your family is comfortable sharing. A story about a child should feel comfortable to that child too, particularly as they get older and want more say over what relatives hear.

Ask what they want to send

"What would you like Grandma to know?" gives your child a turn. Wait for the answer. They might have a paragraph about a school project, or they might only want to say that the bean plant finally has a leaf.

Let younger children dictate while you write. Keep the words they chose, even if you would have explained it differently. You can introduce their bit with "Sam wanted me to tell you..." so Grandma knows where it came from.

If your child wants to keep something private, leave it out.

Put their curiosity in the letter too

A new interest can give them something to ask about. A child growing beans might want to know what Grandpa planted first, or why the seedlings by his window look different from theirs.

Utah State University Extension suggests sharing hobbies and taking turns teaching across generations in its relationship guide. A letter can introduce an interest to talk about on the next call.

You can write that family update in MailedIt, then read and approve the finished letter before we print and mail it. If your child contributed a sentence, read it back to them before you send it.