Grandfathers, Grandpas and Grandchildren

When a grandfather teaches a skill to a child, he shares more than practical know-how � he imparts critical lessons in values as well.

Just as memories of grandmothers revolve around their hugs and affection, recollections of grandpas often center on special outings and activities — and the values imparted along the way.

Today's youngest generation is missing out on acquiring some basic life skills as harried parents rush to fill their children's scant free time with supposedly intellectually stimulating exercises. Grandfathers should see this as an opportunity to step in and try to pass on some vanishing practical skills to their grandchildren. You'll model important values and create lasting memories along the way, and what's more important than that?

Nothing embodies special, joyful times with grandpa better than a day spent fishing, which involves the type of quiet and peaceful moments many parents today are unable to put the brakes on long enough to enjoy. For some great suggestions on the best equipment and techniques for junior fishers, visit the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation.

When you and your companion are ready, start off fishing for bluegill, catfish, bass, or trout in a pond or lake on a summer morning. Then graduate to saltwater fishing, first from the surf or a pier, then onto a deep-sea party boat or even a private charter if your budget allows. When the kids reach an appropriate age, give them a copy of Ernest Hemingway’s classic The Old Man and the Sea to read and then discuss it on a future outing when the fish aren’t biting.

Values modeled: Practicing catch-and-release will teach children the sanctity of life. Similarly, cooking your catch will illustrate the circle of life.

Get Under the Hood

Today’s automobiles may be full of computer chips, but the underlying technology — for better or worse — remains largely unchanged from earlier models. You don’t need to be a mechanical genius to be able to familiarize a grandchild with the basic workings of a car.

Take a ride over and prop up your hood. Then start by showing your grandchild how to make an oil change or degrease a motor, all the while explaining how an internal-combustion engine works. (If you need a refresher, NASA can help.) While rotating tires, point out the brake assembly and how it operates. You can also show a child how to access parts that require routine maintenance, such as belts and air and fuel filters, and how to sub out others, like an alternator or starter. And don't forget to show them how to use a jack and change a tire.

Values modeled: Independence and self-sufficiency. Your grandchildren will be eternally grateful if your lessons one day keep them from turning their car keys over to a mechanic every time their dashboard engine light goes on — and help them avoid the financial consequences of complete automotive ignorance.

Go Wild in the Woods

You don’t need to take your grandchildren into the Rockies to teach them survival skills. Even if you’ve never been an outdoors enthusiast yourself, taking one or all of your grandchildren camping in a national or state park once a year will leave them with cherished memories — and potentially life-saving skills.

Start with lessons in campfire building and tent making. To show kids what to eat in the woods, seek out campgrounds near areas where you can forage for wild fruits and berries or track small game. Schedule overnights in different seasons to teach them how to protect themselves from the elements year-round. And remind children of critical safety tips along the way. You can get some ideas from KidsHealth.

Values modeled: The appreciation and respect for nature is lost on many kids in this techno age. An occasional vision quest with grandpa will stimulate the type of soulful reflection they’ll never find in front of a TV or computer screen.

Hammer Some Lessons Home

Teaching boys and girls some basic carpentry skills can give them a solid foundation for developing many other building-trade skills later on. At minimum, it will make them comfortable with tools, but hopefully, it will also give them the confidence to one day tackle all manner of home projects on their own — from fixing a leaky faucet or toilet to installing hardwood floors — potentially saving tens of thousands of dollars of contractor and handyman fees.

If your grandchildren's home, or yours, has a suitable backyard, start by helping the kids build a fort, however modest or grand. This Old House has some ideas to get you started. The structure could serve as their first outpost away from the nest — albeit only 30 feet or so from the back door — and will be a monument to a sage grandfather’s handiwork and guidance until that bittersweet day they outgrow it.

Values modeled: Repair and reuse are skills being lost in our throwaway society, where fewer and fewer people are able to build things by hand. Some basic construction lessons can help foster in your grandchildren the self-reliance that great Americans like Thomas Paine and Ralph Waldo Emerson once celebrated.