Bridging The Generation Gap

Contributed by : Palak Vyas

The generation gap not only exists between parents and children but also between grandparents and grandchildren too.

The generation gap between kids and their parents: We can’t expect a five-year-old to understand you, so obviously, it is you who has to understand and make changes to bridge the gap.

Always listen to your child carefully. Make him/her feel heard. Unless you listen to them, how else would you understand them?
Take an interest in their daily activities.
Involve them in your life.
Respect them and their decisions.
Love them unconditionally.
Don’t be judgemental.
Do not label them.
Accept and respect the differences.
We all have been brought up in different backgrounds and cultures. Our belief systems have been conditioned as per our surroundings, so to bring any change in it is a difficult task for anyone. It is not easy to accommodate people with different mindset and ideologies. So give time. And take time. The more you try and accept them, the easier it becomes to bridge the gap.

The generation gap between kids and their grandparents: Most of the time, this is not a big issue as grandparents always show love and pamper their grandchildren when they are young. But in some cases, when the grandparents are strict and opinionated, this situation may arise. In other cases, the child may feel that the grandparents are not approachable due to their age difference.

What you can do is:

Encourage communication between the younger and older generations.
Give grandchildren and grandparents opportunities to learn new skills and methods of doing things together like gardening or reciting prayers. The child can teach mobile operations to their grandparents.
Encourage children to accept people of all ages.
Teach your children to respect their elders and their opinions.
Engage them in fun activities like storytelling and reading books.

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