So what else can the older generation give to society. Probably the first and foremost is knowledge. Remember, they have been here longer than the youth, they not have ‘been there, done that, got the t-shirt’, but are probably on their 10th t-shirt!!! . Without the experience of our elders, our society and institutions end up constantly reinventing the wheel, so to speak. Like a tree needs its roots for growth and nourishment, a society needs roots to keep it grounded in its traditional values and history. We need the youth to think of new ideas, the middle aged to make things happen and the elderly to keep us from running so fast we fall over .
Another area that Grandparents are of huge benefit is when the pitter patter of little feet enter our lives. As they have more time than the working Mums and Dads, babysitting is something they provide willingly and happily. They enjoy spending time with their grandchildren, the grandchildren enjoy being spoiled by their grandparents and Mum and Dad are a lot less stressed. Who else will mind your precious as well and with as much love as you?Unfortunately, modern society seems to encourage segregation of older people from society, preferring nursing or retirement homes. But families who have active, healthy grandparents have the opportunity to develop strong relationships between the kids and their elderly relatives that can greatly enrich the lives of both generations.
Older adults have countless ways to use their life experience to enrich their communities. They may retire from work and slow down as they age, but this doesn’t mean they are irrelevant or useless. All communities have a lot to gain from the engagement of their elderly citizens.
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