Traveling in Retirement as a Grandparent

One of the best parts of retirement is that you have more time to do the thing that really matter to you. For a lot of retirees, that means traveling the world, living in different countries, and experiencing different cultures. 

Another common retiree dream is to spend more time with your grandchildren. It’s a true joy to see the new generation learn and grow and providing childcare can be an excellent way to help your adult children as well. The overall experience can be incredibly rewarding. You may have been working a lot when your own kids were young, but now you have the time to truly spoil the little ones.

At first glance, it doesn’t seem possible to achieve these two goals at once. After all, if you’re traveling the world, how can you still spend time with your grandchildren?

The truth is, there are a lot of ways to be actively involved in your grandchildren’s lives, even while you’re living abroad. 

Living Abroad and Enjoying Grandchildren

If you’re living abroad, you won’t be able to easily drop by and visit your grandchildren, but it doesn’t mean you still can’t be a big part of their lives. 

Use Technology

One of the best parts of living abroad today is that it’s easier to stay connected with home than ever before. Even ten years ago, video calls were much more difficult to perform successfully than they are today. and many people didn’t have the tools needed to do them. These days, even very young kids are able to answer a call on a tablet, smartphone, or laptop and the barriers to having live video calls in great quality have almost entirely disappeared.

You can set up regular weekly calls, for example, giving you both something to look forward to. These can be a great chance to talk about your daily lives, what you’ve been up to, and what you’re looking forward to. You might even want to “take your grandkids along with you” as you run errands.

If you have a capable smartphone and internet plan, it can be really fun to start a call and bring them along with you as you go shopping, for example. They’ll get to see the stores you visit, learn how local customs are different, and maybe even meet some of the other people you interact with regularly.

Another great way to use technology to stay close to one another is by having virtual birthdays or other celebrations. If the whole family is getting together to celebrate a birthday, for example, ask if you can join in virtually. You don’t have to stay for the entire time, but even a brief check-in can be really rewarding. 

Playing online games with one another can be a great way to bond as well, especially if these games feature live chats. Even if they don’t, sharing a virtual world together can really keep you connected. For example, some grandparents and children share the same Minecraft worlds. This game lets you build surprises for one another, even if you’re not playing at the same time. Many other games have similar features, so check them out.

Even if you’re not a gamer, there are virtual versions of card games and trivia games that are fun for the whole family and can be played from nearly anywhere. 

Send Gifts

Children love gifts, that’s pretty clear. They especially love gifts that they can’t get where they live. Don’t worry, these gifts don’t have to be large or pricy. Small items that are unique to the country or region you’re staying in are always a hit. If it’s possible, consider sending some local snack food. That’s always a fun way to share the culture and tell your grandkids about something they probably can’t get at home. Of course, not all foods ship easily, so stick with packaged foods that won’t spoil or get damaged in transit. 

Kids love little gifts, even small knickknacks or trinkets, especially if they represent the local culture. Ship them small gifts along with a note explaining them or tell them more about the item on your next video call. Many kids will keep these items in their rooms or on their desks as a reminder of you, especially if you’ve explained their significance. 

Even a handwritten letter or a postcard can be truly special. These days, most people don’t get very much mail, so the special items they receive are truly a joy. That’s especially true for children. It makes them feel grown up when their parents tell them that there’s a letter for them. It’s fun for them to see their own name on a piece of mail, instead of the parent’s names.

Postcards are great for this, especially if you’re traveling to several different places. Your grandkids will be excited to see all the locations you’re visiting. However, even if you’re staying in one place for a long time, posts are still an excellent way to keep in touch. They’re a bit more exciting than a letter, to be honest. They feel more adventurous and fun and, because most people don’t receive them very often, they feel more unique and special. 

Regularly Share Photos and Videos

You don’t always need to spend money buying things and shipping them around the world. Keeping family members updated on your life is always a fun thing to do and kids love to see what you’re up to. 

This doesn’t even mean that you have to go on extravagant sightseeing trips so that you’ll have something great to show them. Grandchildren love to see how the world works and how things are different in different places. Send them photos of your meals or the stores you go to, the meals you cook, or other parts of your daily routine. Not only will these be interesting, but you’ll both feel like you’re sharing your life with one another and that’s a huge bonding experience. 

You’ll both feel like you’re a part of something special and personal, and that often matters more than the big moments or expensive gifts. 

Challenges of Having Long-Distance Grandchildren Relationships

Of course, there are challenges to forming long-distance relationships with your grandchildren. The first might be the time difference. If you’re living on the other side of the world, it might not be convenient for you to have regular video calls, for example. You may end up waking up in the middle of the night to celebrate a birthday, but that’s why it’s important to make these moments matter.

If the time difference is great, weekly calls might not work for you. You may want to save these live chats for special occasions and stick to sending photos, videos, or voice notes back and forth. Texting and chatting to one another, even if you aren’t both available at the same time, can be a good choice.

One thing you’ll learn when living abroad is to make your connections intentional. You won’t be running into each other frequently, so work to make each moment matter. You will probably need to put some effort into staying in touch and connected, but it’s really worth it. Even a quick note or a photo now and then can let your grandchildren know that you’re thinking about them and that will strengthen your bonds.