in showing our kids how to treat others with kindness and respect, an easy target is grandparents. they will be overjoyed with almost anything (time together, a picture drawn, a hand of "go fish"). another fun activity is to have your children come up with a list of questions to ask the grandparents, "what was your favorite candy as a kid?", "what was the worst job you ever had?", what's the most embarrassing thing that happened to you when you were my age?"
if your kids don't have grandparents near by or at all, it is very easy (and deeply appreciated) to ADOPT A GRANDPARENT and brighten up a person's day. just google "adopt a grandparent" along with the city you live in, and you will find a long list of participating retirement homes.
the lesson: it is sometimes forgotten, but so invaluable to treat the older generations with the respect they have earned.
***added bonus: actually the mystery of what your child will get out of this experience is pretty exciting - the unknown... and maybe a hard candy.
