Grandparents' Day, sometimes known as National Grandparents' Day, is a secular holiday observed in several nations to honor the link between grandparents and grandchildren. It occurs on several days throughout the year, either as a single holiday or as separate Grandmothers' and Grandfathers' Days (see below for dates by country)
1. What is the Date of National Grandparents Day?
National Grandparents Day is observed on the first Sunday following Labor Day. This year's date is September 11. We have a whole day dedicated to our grandparents, just like Mother's and Father's days. Grandparents and children share a special bond that has been shown to both extend grandparents' lives and make youngsters more emotionally resilient. Grandparents Day is an occasion to celebrate that bond and spend quality time with your family.
2. National Grandparents Day History
Russell Capper (age 9 in 1969) wrote to President Nixon in the United States, requesting that a special day be designated as Grandparents' Day. On June 12, 1969, he received a letter from Rose Mary Woods, the President's Personal Secretary, which stated, "Mr. Russell, Thank you for writing President Nixon. Your suggestion for a Grandparent's Day is appreciated, however the President normally releases proclamations designating periods for special commemoration only when authorized by a Congressional resolution. Best Regards, Sincerely, Rose Mary Woods is the President's personal secretary ".
Marian McQuade has been acknowledged officially as the creator of National Grandparents Day by the United States Senate - specifically by Senators Jennings Randolph and Robert Byrd - and by President Jimmy Carter since the aforementioned letter. McQuade set out to teach the community's youth[clarification needed] about the significant accomplishments seniors have made throughout history. She also encouraged the youth to "adopt" a grandmother for a lifetime, rather than just one day a year. Cynthia Bennett, a co-founder who worked for Marian's husband, contributed by providing letters of verification.
Senator Jennings Randolph sponsored legislation in the Senate in 1973 to make Grandparents' Day a national holiday. At the suggestion of Marian McQuade, West Virginia Governor Arch Moore declared an annual Grandparents' Day for the state. Marian McQuade rallied supporters and began contacting governors, senators, and congresspeople in all fifty states after Senator Randolph's resolution died in committee in the United States Senate. She pushed each state to declare Grandparents' Day. Within three years, she had gotten proclamations for Grandparents' Day from forty-three states. Senator Randolph received copies of the proclamations. [Citation required]
Senator Randolph filed a joint resolution to the Senate in February 1977, with the support of many other senators, seeking the president to "issue annually a proclamation recognizing the first Sunday of September following Labor Day of each year as 'National Grandparents' Day." Congress approved legislation designating the first Sunday after Labor Day as National Grandparents' Day, and then-President Jimmy Carter signed the proclamation on August 3, 1978. The objective of the day is stated in the statute as "...honoring grandparents, giving grandparents an opportunity to show affection for their children's children, and helping children become aware of the power, information, and wisdom that older people can offer."
3. National Grandparents Day Activities
Spend Quality Time with Your Grandparents.
We sometimes overlook how significant and unique our grandparents are. They have far more free time than we do, and we know that even a little visit would make them happy.
Have a Family Meal
Family time is difficult to come by these days, but hosting a family meal with your grandparents, parents, and siblings is a wonderful opportunity to spend time together. We also get to enjoy some excellent old-fashioned family cuisine!
Participate in a Hobby Together
On Sundays, your grandmother might enjoy painting, whereas your grandfather might enjoy doing puzzles. A little company would brighten their day, and you'd probably have more fun than you expected.
Grandparents Return to School
Many schools encourage students to bring their grandparents to school at least once a year. Students, grandparents, and teachers all had a good time! What can you do now that everyone has gathered? Cheryl H., a teacher, presented an amazing proposal for Grandparents Day to the Teachers. Lesson Bank on the internet. She recommends making two quizzes: one for the grandparents and another for your students. Include questions regarding historical terms on the students' quiz. Allow your kids to assist you in creating the grandparents' quiz on today's terms. On the day of the visit, distribute the quizzes and explore the differences in language between the age groups. The answers will make you laugh!
Interview with Grandparents
Put your reporters to work on a fantastic story: an interview with a senior citizen! Create a list of questions with your students, or utilize Education World's Interview with a Super Senior Teaching Master. More questions can be found on the official Grandparents Day website at Sample Questions for "Interviewing" Your Grandparents. If your students are too young to write down their replies, have them videotape their interviews. Oral history can be even more powerful than written history! With Family Fuel Facts Reporter, you may incorporate math and science into the exercise.
Excellent Greeting Cards
Send a customized message to your pupils' grandparents or other seniors. Home-Manufactured Greeting Cards contains links to many different sorts of cards that can be made in the classroom. If a card isn't enough, have your pupils write letters expressing their gratitude for the support of their grandparents or other important individuals in their lives.
Nonna and Opa are being Mapped.
Can you say grandfather and grandmother in Italian? Use this set of words for grandparents used by children in other nations as a mapping activity with your students. Print out the World Map and have your students discover and label the countries on their sheets. For senior pupils, use the outline map, while for younger children, use a conventional map with the countries indicated.
Go to a Nursing Home
Did you realize that 60% of nursing home residents receive no visitors? Plan a field trip to a nearby nursing home and have your children cheer on "grandparents" or "secret buds." They may bring handcrafted Placemats for the elderly as a pick-me-up. (See another placemat suggestion.) Students and residents can teach each other about their favorite activities or read books and stories together. Create a Forget-Me-Not bulletin board of photographs and anecdotes for your classroom or school as part of this exercise. Please be aware that not all pupils will be able to visit a nursing facility. It is critical to educate kids that, while some seniors require assistance, many do not and live productive, independent lives.
4. National Grandparents Day Quotes
“Grandparents, like heroes, are as necessary to a child's growth as vitamins.” — Joyce Allston
“A grandparent is a little bit parent, a little bit teacher, and a little bit best friend.”
“I know you've loved me since I was born, but I've loved you my whole life.”
“What children need most are the essentials that grandparents provide in abundance. They give unconditional love, kindness, patience, humor, comfort, and lessons in life. And, most importantly, cookies.” — Rudy Giuliani
“Grandparents are the best kind of grownups.”
“Grandparents are like stars. You don't always see them, but you know they're there.”
“Grandparents make the world a little softer, a little kinder, and a little warmer.”
“The reason grandchildren and grandparents get along so well is that they have a common enemy.” — Sam Levenson
“If nothing is going well, call your grandparents.”
“Grandchildren don't need a lot of toys. The best thing a grandchild can have is a grandparent who gets down on the floor and plays with them.”
“I love you to the moon and back, to infinity and beyond, forever and ever.”
“Grandchildren are a grandparent's link to the future. Grandparents are the child's link to the past.”
“Grandparents hold our tiny hands for just a little while, but our hearts forever.”
“No cowboy was ever faster on the draw than a grandparent pulling a baby picture out of a wallet.”
“You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them.” — Desmond Tutu
“A child needs a grandparent, anybody's grandparent, to grow a little more securely into an unfamiliar world.” — Charles and Ann Morse
“The best place to be when you're sad is your grandparent's lap.”
“Nobody can do for little children what grandparents do. Grandparents sort of sprinkle stardust over the lives of little children.” — Alex Haley
“A grandparent is old on the outside, but young on the inside.”
“Grandparents are there to help the child get into mischief they haven't thought of yet.” — Gene Perret
“When grandparents enter the door, discipline flies out the window.” — Ogden Nash
“Family is the most important thing in the world.” — Princess Diana
“I'm not spoiled. I'm just well taken care of by my grandparents.”
