We often don’t think about leaving something for our grandkids until it’s too late, when all we have to give them is money. Here are a few ideas of easy ways you can start now to leave a legacy they will treasure.
Take a Trip Together Invite the grandkids, maybe one at a time, to spend a day, a weekend, or a vacation with you. Some families make a tradition of taking each child or grandchild on a solo trip when the child reaches eight or ten or twelve–old enough to remember this special time together.
Take lots of photos of him/her/them doing the activities you have planned. Snap photos of you with them and make a scrapbook or printed book about the trip. Include quotes from them along with their photos. Ask them during your time together what is their favorite activity or what was the best part. Feature that. (You could also ask what they liked least–then you’ll know! And it might be a funny story to add to the family lore. ) Post the photos on Facebook and make a mini scrapbook or a hardback printed book of your adventures.
Keepsakes
If you have a knickknack that a particular one of your grandchildren yearns for, put a sticker on the bottom that says, “This is for Cathy,” with the date and your initials. Then it is more likely to go to that child or grandchild if you die before you can give it yourself. Put a list of these minor bequests with your will.
Items I have given or received include glass angels, Christmas ornaments, a set of grandma’s wedding china, model airplanes, particular rocks or crystals, paintings, sterling silver, and an antique clock. When my husband Jesse passed, I gave each of his grandchildren, all current or former military, one of the eagle statuettes he collected. It’s also kind to pass on to stepchildren items that have come into your possession that previously belonged to their natural parent.
I have also entrusted small labeled boxes of valuable jewelry I inherited from my mother and grandmother to my daughter to distribute when her kids are older when I may or may not still be around.
Make a list and keep it with your will. You could, if you felt comfortable, directly ask your loved ones what they would like to have to remember you in the unlikely event of an early demise. Note: When you are downsizing is an excellent time to give keepsakes in person and enjoy the happy faces.
Record Conversations
These days, recording is simple. You even can record on your cellphone!
Record conversations with your kids or grandkids. Interview them about what events they remember, their favorite thing about spending time with you or other outstanding events about their childhoods. Have them interview you about your life and how and why you made the life choices you did. Record something for them to replay when you are gone, words of love. Record your favorite poems, jokes, scriptures or words of wisdom. Record the kinds of things you wish you might have received from your own parents or grandparents to remember or pass along.
Grandma/Granddad Remembers Scrapbook
You might want to make a scrapbook or printed book about your own life to distribute to the family and maybe your local library, with stories about your childhood and coming of age, your own parents or grandparents. You might want to interview your own parents if they are still around. Ask your kids or grandkids about the special events, holidays, and vacations they remember.
Add descriptions or photos of holiday traditions or birthday celebrations. If you are engaged with a religious community, share your faith journey, too. Photos of you playing games or sports with the kids are prized.
Add pearls of wisdom from your parents or grandparents that helped YOU. Include causes or charities important to you. And especially include anything you did or acquired that you are especially proud of or for which you want to be remembered. Any craft store will have great papers and binders for scrapbooks, or you can print a hard copy. Google it.
Grandma’s Secret Recipes or Granddad’s BBQ Tricks
Food is something families enjoy together, and we remember our favorite foods due to their multi-sensory nature. If you want to be remembered for happy family gatherings around the holidays or other special times, consider sharing your secret recipes.
Make a box of (legible) index cards or a notebook of your special recipes or cooking tips. These are often passed down and appreciated generationally. I was happy to learn to make my mom’s goulash, gigantic hash, and split pea and ham soup. She taught me to can blackberry jelly and to freeze corn on the cob;
My grandson used my grandmother’s handwritten angel food cake recipe for a school project. He and his mom followed the recipe and served the special cake to his class. It was a hit! My grandmother made these hand-beaten cakes during the Great Depression. My mom and her sister pulled a wagon through the neighborhood selling the cakes door to door.
I also treasure the Christmas cookie recipe my parents baked together and sent me every year once I left home. The Bird’s Nest cookies and the Date Pinwheels are still my favorites.
If you can include family photos with the recipes, that would be a double treat, especially photos of you and the children you taught to cook, bake, or barbeque. Also, stories of teaching kids/grandkids how to deep fry or carve a turkey may prove precious. What a lovely heirloom cookbook that would be! And remember to save Grandpa’s favorite BBQ sauce!
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P.S. If you have other legacy ideas to share, feel free to post on This Boomer Life on Facebook!