by Jay Payleitner
Adapted from his book, Hooray for Grandparents!
Somehow your children survived their teenage years and eventually gave you grandchildren. Well, here’s your chance to pay them back for everything they put you through back in the day.
In preparation for the next time your grandkids stop by, pull out their mom or dad’s old high school yearbooks. They’re probably in the bottom of that dusty corner bookshelf or shoved in a memory box left behind in the basement, attic, or guest room closet. (If you can’t find them, then track down an equally embarrassing family photo album from those years.)
As your grandchild flips through the pages, the stories and questions about their parents’ high school days will naturally flow.
What’s with that hair?
Where did that nickname come from?
What clubs were they in?
Who was their best friend?
Who did they go to prom with?
Did they ever break their curfew?
Dad said he played baseball, but he’s not in the team photo.
If the yearbook has signatures and comments scrawled by your child’s classmates, even better! Reading those handwritten comments, the journey back in time will be even more eye-opening for your grandkids.
Who’s L.K. and why won’t they ever forget what happened after the homecoming game?
Where is “the cabin” mentioned by so many classmates?
How come Mom went to concerts in the city, but I can’t?
When and where did “Dragon” puke and why was he sick?
Whatever happened to all those kids who wrote, “Friends4ever!”?
Some of these questions you can answer. Most of them will be brought home to their parents. Sound like fun? Actually, you’ll be doing your adult children a favor. The scribbled memories of their classmates reveal some achievements your son or daughter can brag about, but also how they didn’t always make the best decisions during their formative years. Yearbook entries divulge their academic achievements and involvement in clubs, sports, and other extracurricular activities that may not match the expectations they’ve presented to their offspring.
As a result, your grandson or granddaughter may accuse their parents of being slackers, partiers, geeks, or nerds. If everyone keeps their cool and maintains a sense of humor, some insightful revelations and relationship-building conversations may occur.
It’s comforting for kids to imagine their mom or dad going through a certain amount of high school angst and teenage rebellion. That yearbook and some honest follow-up discussion might lead your grandchildren to an important revelation:
Maybe my parents do understand.
While you’re at it, don’t forget to pull out your own yearbooks and photo albums. But be warned. You, also, may have some explaining to do.
Read more from Jay at Grandkids Matter here.
Jay Payleitner is a best-selling author of Hooray for Grandparents! and more than a dozen other books on marriage, family, and doing life right, including 52 Things Kids Need from a Dad, 52 Things Wives Need from Their Husbands, and What If God Wrote Your Bucket List? He and his wife, Rita, live near Chicago, where they’ve raised five great kids (and now have eight grandkids) and have loved on ten foster babies. For information on booking Jay to speak at your next event, visit jaypayleitner.com.
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