Today is Grand parents Day. National Grandparents Day originated with Marian McQuade (now age 91), a housewife in Fayette County, West Virginia.
Her primary motivation was to champion the cause of lonely elderly in nursing homes. She also hoped to persuade grandchildren to tap the wisdom and heritage their grandparents could provide. President Jimmy Carter, in 1978, proclaimed that National Grandparents Day would be celebrated every year on the first Sunday after Labor Day.
As a former employee of a nursing home's activity department, it was always a thrill to have groups of children interact with the residents. The people in the nursing homes loved to talk to the children about their lives. Here are a few of the suggested questions and thoughts the children learned before their interviews:
An interview is just like talking with someone, but with prepared questions.
Ask questions clearly and slowly, giving the person time to answer. Repeat questions if necessary.
Listen carefully to what the person says; don't interrupt or correct.
Maintain eye contact and show interest by leaning forward and nodding.
If someone is talking about an unhappy or painful experience, show that you understand how they feel (e.g. "That's very sad").
It's okay for there to be moments of silence or emotion. A person's life is important, and emotion is natural. Accept emotions as part of the process.
If the person doesn't want to talk about something, that's okay -- just go to the next question.
A person may have a lot to say in response to a particular question, summarize the key ideas .
An interview shouldn't last more than an hour. People do best when they're not tired.
Don't forget to thank the person you've interviewed. Let them know you value what they've shared.
Some of the children got very close to their new friend and visited them on occasion out side of class. Who wouldn't want to visit a German lady who made hats?
Let's hope grand parents are sharing favorite memories with their grandchildren and the children are asking questions!
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