Tayla Foster
We have all been there – the comprehensive set of rules barked at us by our parents in a mantra of what we can and cannot say in front of our grandparents. “Cover your tattoos.” “Don’t swear.” “Use your manners.” Majority of which are simply appropriate etiquette!Bridging the gap between generations can be tough when it comes to conversation, but as long as effort is shown, the results will prove worthwhile.
Break the Cycle:
The conversation will always start with a bear hug from both grandparents followed by the questions we all know and love – “have you eaten? You look so skinny?” This is often followed by repetitive reassurance as they ask you a few more times before properly walking through the threshold. The conversation progresses to your travel, how work is going and when you are going to get married and give them a little baby to play with. To alleviate the sense of awkward tension and take the focus off of yourself, break the ice with questions about them for a change.
Believe it or not they have a life as opposed to waiting by the phone for their grandchildren to call!
Keeping an Interest:
Take an interest in their life, ask about how they met, after all this is how you ultimately came to be. You may wish to speak of their childhood and discover the vast difference in experiences from generation to generation. After all the reason you have had the luxury of a privileged childhood experience is because of the matriarch and patriarch of the family.
