Learn How to Be a More Intentional Grandparent

We’ve just gotten back from babysitting the grandkids while their parents, our children, were on a getaway to celebrate an anniversary. It was a great visit for us. We served the kids spaghetti. (Doesn’t every grandkid love “bisgetti”?), played a dozen rounds of Uno, created gigantic bubbles in the yard, changed a lot of diapers, and made sure the dog got fed in between! So we’ve been thinking a lot about grandparenting recently.

At Answers in Genesis, we’ve got grandparents on our minds as well. In 2016–2017, the Ark Encounter's second year, the attendance by way of bus tours increased about 20% at both the ark and the Creation Museum. Most of those on the bus tours were seniors. We are thrilled to serve this demographic. At the Creation Museum, in addition to widening hallways to accommodate the crowds and providing ample motorized scooters and wheelchairs, programming is also changing to reflect the needs of grandparents.

This year, a new two-part series of free workshops called Answers for Grandparents is now available during specific weeks at the Creation Museum (learn more and check for dates and times on the Creation Museum website). These workshops are especially for our senior audience.

If you are a grandparent, let us share five reasons why Answers for Grandparents is a must-do on your next visit to the Creation Museum.

1. These workshops will cast a vision for how significant and influential the last third of your life can be during your retirement years. There is a misconception that retirement means freedom—finally. Travel, golf, winters in Florida—while none of these is wrong, God has given a greater mandate to grandparents and that is to convey spiritual truth to “our children’s children” (Deuteronomy 4:9). The workshop explores what that means and how to do it.
2. These workshops will ignite a passion in your heart to reorganize priorities. While parents are the primary influencers for teaching spiritual truth in a child’s life, grandparents are second; yes, second even over the church. You don’t want to miss the prime opportunity God has given you. It may be where you leave your greatest mark on the world.
3. These workshops will equip you to become intentional grandparents. We’ll use Creation Museum topics, like fossils and ape-men, to demonstrate that almost any conversation you have with your grandchildren can be turned into teachable moments of spiritual truth. You simply have to be intentional.
4. You will learn alongside others who share similar challenges in this season of life, challenges like long-distance grandparenting or what to do when parents do not allow you to share spiritual truth with your grandchildren. After each workshop, a question and answer time will provide the opportunity for conversation between the leaders and group participants.
5. You will also be able to purchase resources that will equip you to be a more intentional grandparent.

We look forward to sharing with you soon.