812-Laneaster Firming, Saturday, January 27,1990
TAKING
by Rebecca Wolf
Extension Home Economist
A Gift to the
Next Generation
Several weeks ago I congratu
lated my great-grandmother on
having lived in every decade of
the twentieth Century. (She was
bom in 1894.) I reflected on the
changes that she and others had
seen throughout their lives.
In the past fifty, even twenty
years, the world has changed dra
matically. Children today are fac
ing many challenges - challenges
that older adults can help them
meet.
In 1987, one out of five Ameri
can children lived in poverty (rur
al poverty is growing twice as
quickly as urban poverty). That
same year, more than one-third of
high school students reported hav
ing been threatened with violence
during the past year. School-age
children are facing rising teen sui
cide rates and increased availabili
ty of drugs. More than half of all
children today will spend some of
their growing-up years in a single
parent family. Many of these
children are also “latchkey child
ren”- children who take care of
themselves after school.
One psychologist stated that
many youth show increased levels
of boredom, low self-esteem, and
low motivation. This may be a
result of parents insulating them
from natural challenges, risks, and
consequences.
Al the same time, our popula
tion is aging - 30-35% of us are
“grandparent-aged.” Thinking
about my friendships with my
grandparents, I am convinced that
older family members can posi
tively influence today’s children,
and, in the process, make their
own lives more fulfilling.
One researcher wrote, “By hav
ing an effect on the lives of child
ren, grandparents can bring a
sense of completion or fulfillment
to their own lives. In many ways
good deeds and effective teaching
will ensure that grandparents will
TIME
live on in their children and in
generations to come.” Friendships
with older people provide youth
with:
• a realistic view of life.
Research has shown that children
who spend time with older people
develop positive attitudes toward
aging. Other children often don’t.
• an exciting perspective on his
tory. Have you ever plugged a
watermelon? Do you know what a
running board is? How many of
you lived when FDR or Jack Ken
nedy was president? Until you
share your stories with children,
these dynamic figures are only
textbook names.
• encouragement to excel and a
listening ear - rare commodities
that parents are sometimes too
busy to offer. Older people are
usually, but not always, retired.
This gives them more freedom to
take time to comfort a child. It’s a
matter of “tapping strength from
the past in order to restore hope
and expectations for the future.”
If you are a grandparent, I
encourage you to nurture the rela
tionships you have with your
grandchildren. Spend time with
them. Ask them to help you with a
project. Share your interests with
them. If your grandchildren live
far'away, “adopt” a young child in
your community. (Frequently you
don’t have a choice; they adopt
you!) Volunteer at a nearby
school. t
If you’re a parent, encourage
your child to spend time with old
er relatives and friends. Begin this
at an early age, and it will seem
natural for a child to maintain
these kinds of relationships
throughout a lifetime. You will
also be building your child’s sup
port system. At times when a
parent “just doesn’t understand,”
your child will have another adult
to go to for advice and comfort.
Friendships that bridge genera
tions make our lives richer. It’s a
matter of each of us taking time to
reach out.
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