Grandparents and Faith

I wanted to repeat an article from my October Parent LInk about Grandparents and faith for I think it important. Enjoy!! And I appreciate your comments! Linda

Grandparents Day was a big hit at LUMC on Sept. 11 with lots of kids
bringing their grandparents (or grandparents bringing them!!!).
What about Grandparents and FAITH? When it comes to grandchildren and
faith, why do we care so much? Grandparents don't usually expect to have a say in
where their grandkids go to school or camp, who they associate with or what career
they choose. Yet, many care profoundly whether and where their grandchildren
practice religion. Questions about how today's grandparents pass on their heritage to
up-and-coming generations are frequently discussed between friends, among
members of religious organizations, even in online forums for grandparents.
It's all about connection, says Valarie King, an associate professor of sociology at
Penn State University. As a contributor to the book Children of the Land, which
explores family connections in Iowa's farm country, King studied grandparents and
religion. Through her research she concluded that "religion is a factor that holds
families together." Based on the extensive survey data she reviewed, King notes that
the grandparents who were more involved with their religion were also more involved
with their grandkids.
For psychologist Carolyn Newberger, an involved grandma herself, it's primarily
about continuity; that preserving one's heritage is a way of keeping our ancestors alive
through our kids, and our kids' kids. As a grandparent, Newberger says, "I stand in a
place that stretches behind me and ahead of me. Through me, my grandchildren will
carry forward what I remember." She also points out that it is practices, as well as
memories, that children and grandchildren carry on.
These ideas of continuity and connection seem to be intertwined. "Being human is a
very fragile condition," she continues. "Our antidote to our fragility is our
connections--past and current." Graham articulates the same sentiment with a more
specifically religious slant, explaining that faith has enabled her family to endure lots
of tragedies. "Without our faith, I don't know how we'd get through," she says.
Grandparents want their grandkids to have the strength that comes with that
grounded, connected feeling, Newberger points out, and knowing one's roots can
enhance that. Family, religious and cultural traditions are some of the ways we get to
experience those roots with all our senses The good news, according to Kornhaber, is
that what transpires between grandparents and grandkids is unique and powerful,
thanks to what he calls a special communication system making grandparents ideally
suited to the role of "spiritual guide."
"Religion is passed more easily from grandparent to grandchild than from
parent to child because of how a child views a grandparent," he says, referring to
the unconditional love more easily established between grandparent and grandchild
than between two of closer generations. She encourages grandparents to make use of
opportunities to share their religious traditions with grandchildren. She's found that
children who don't get exposure to this aspect of their grandparents' lives can, later in
life, end up feeling like they missed out on those rich traditions. (Reprinted from
Interfaithfamily.com)