Grandparents Day

Grandparents Day  has been celebrated globally for many years and initiated in South Africa by Age-in-Action in 1996 to emphasise the role of grandparents in the family and give them due recognition. The day is celebrated on the first Sunday of October, but is still relatively unknown to most South Africans. The purpose of this special day is to link the generations which, in our fast paced society, is dying out.  Grandparents have so much to offer, so much skills to transfer, so much good advice to give – what better time to do some of these activities but on Grandparents Day.  It is a great opportunity for families to get together, learn from each other and really make our grandparents feel part of mainstream society.  Too many of them are isolated, lonely and depressed so why not use this day to bring them some cheer.  For those who do not have a grandparent, go ahead and adopt one especially for this occasion.  It has been proven to be most therapeutic for both generations.  Churches and schools can particularly play a big role in creating awareness for this event by drawing the grandparents into their programme on this day – even shut-ins.  Quality time of this nature can never be measured in monetary terms but it is most rewarding.