TOS50 Interview with Helene Fields, author of "Don't Cheat the Children. Connecting Generations through GrandFriendships"
The author asks: “Are your children being cheated?” If you're a lucky parent who had grandparents or other seniors nearby that loved you when you were young, you'll probably remember them all your life. At a deep level, you most likely know how important they were. Today's children deserve to be that lucky, too. Let's create GrandFriendships.
All children deserve caring seniors in their lives who can help them grow stronger, smarter, and more compassionate. What are “GrandFriendships?” They are comfortable two-way interactions between children and safe, available seniors - family or non family - who live near one another. Parents who encourage children to connect with family or non-family seniors in their neighborhoods, are creating GrandFriendships. In today's separated society, these interactions can benefit both generations. Helene Block Fields is a retired Early Childhood Education professor, intergenerational pioneer, and grandparenting specialist. Her vast experience in child development and parent-school-community issues has helped her understand the challenges of parenting in today's society. The author is passionate about parents setting up “GrandFriendships.” Why? She states: “I have great hopes that today's educated parents can help our society return to the ‘village’ concept through GrandFriendships. I want my grandchildren and great-grandchildren to grow up in warm connected neighborhoods.
Helene Block Fields, M.Ed, is a Professor Emeritus at Oakton Community College in DesPlaines IL and a graduate of the Erikson Institute. She has received many honors, including a national intergenerational award from Generations United, Washington DC. Her video, "Gentle Connections", continues to be used by educators after more than two decades. She led monthly grandparent support/discussion groups for ten years. Helene and her husband share 15 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. This book is both inspirational and informative. Once upon a time families lived in close proximity; children and their grandparents interacted on a daily basis. In the world as it exists today, it’s unlikely that this can happen. “Connecting Generations through GrandFriendships” clearly and succinctly explains how logical it is for children and seniors to learn from each other. It’s an idea that warrants thoughtful consideration by educators across the United States.
To purchase "Don't Cheat The Children - Connecting Generations Thru Grandfriendships" by Helene Block Fields, click here: http://www.amazon.com?_encoding=UTF8&tag=wwwtos5com-20
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2 Comments
March 2, 2010 - 10:47pm
Helene
Ms. Reich, I am a long-distance grandparent and know how much it hurts to miss on-going relationships with far-away grandchildren. Naturally, GrandFriendship connections can't take the place of relationships with your own far-away grandchildren.
However, GrandFriendships can be extremely fulfilling. They can encourage reciprocal caring relationships between the generations and enable older adults to experience mutual affection with nearby parents and their children.
GrandFriendships can also help older adults understand and accept that today's developmentally aware parents, whether near or far-away, will decide who and what is appropriate for their children.
When long-distance grandparents interact with neighborhood children, especially those that are close to their own grandchildren's ages, the older adults can develop additional skills to help make their own occasional family reunions more satisfying.
I've learned many new skills from ongoing GrandFriendships. They helped me better understand each far-away grandchild according to his/her age, interests, and hobbies. I keep in touch with each of them through the mail, phone, and/or computer to let them know that I'm thinking about them. This connection helps us bridge the gap until we can spend some precious time together.
I highly recommend two other books on this subject. They are "The Long Distance Grandmother" by Selma Wasserman and “The Essential Grandparent” by Lillian Carson.
Helene Block Fields
February 28, 2010 - 2:31am
Maxsa R
Ms. Fields, you talk about these wonderful relationships, but what is a grandparent to do if the grandchildren live thousands of miles away and you only get to see them twice a year? Yes, you might be able to develop relationships with other children, but they don’t really take the place of your own family.
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