Although Canada’s National Grandparents Day was two days ago, who says we can’t celebrate how awesome grandparents are for the whole week! And in recognition of all the awesome grandparents out there, here is some advice, for families, when getting the whole family together and taking the kids on a trip to visit grandma and grandpa.

Let the Grandparents Plan Activities

In addition to travelling to getting out of your house, a trip to visit grandparents may include visiting an entirely different city or province – not to mention the grandparents have likely anticipated the arrival of you and their grandkids. So, since you’re the visitors, let the grandparents suggest activities they’d like to do with you (e.g., best places to eat, local attractions or friends they’d like to introduce you to, etc.).

Take a Step Back

Remember, you get to see your kids all the time, whereas the grandparents may not. Over the course of your visit, try stepping back and letting the grandparents do a lot of the interaction with the grandkids.

If your children are babies or you’re concerned with your grandparents being able to fully care for your children, you don’t have to fully back away but encouraging more interaction between grandparents and grandkids is always a good thing for your family dynamic.

Snap Lots of Pictures

In life, there is little that comes close to the value of family. Don’t take these moments of multi-generational time together for granted. Make sure to capture lots and lots of pictures so these moments can be looked back on with a fondness for years to come.

Avoid Overstaying Your Welcome

Bringing two family units together under one roof and expecting everything to go flawlessly is a lot to ask, especially if you’re staying for a week or more.

Every family situation is different but to avoid family-fatigue, consider taking more frequent trips, of a shorter duration, to visit the grandparents. This helps ensure everyone enjoys themselves but doesn’t get run down.