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Staying close to grandkids from abroad — what actually works?

Emma Thompson ⭐ Helpful member
20 Jul 2026, 04:33

The hardest part of retiring abroad isn't the admin, it's missing the grandchildren growing up. Video calls with little ones are hit and miss — they wander off mid-sentence. For grandparents doing this at a distance, what genuinely keeps the bond strong across the miles, beyond the obligatory weekly call?

3 replies

Helga Larsen ⭐ Helpful member
1 Aug 2026, 05:11

Emma, what works for us with the little ones is reading the same bedtime story on video once a week, from two copies of the same book, one here and one with them. They hold the book, I read, and they turn the pages when I tell them. They don't wander off, because they have a job to do, and it feels like we're in the same room for fifteen minutes.

Ben Carter ⭐ Helpful member
2 Aug 2026, 15:14

Our granddaughter is four, and what works with her is post, real post. Sue sends a small parcel every month with a postcard of something she'd like here, a shell, a drawing of our cat, a sticker from the market. The video calls are hit and miss, as you say, but she carries those postcards around the house for days. Children that age understand things they can hold much better than a face on a screen.

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Chris Bennett ⭐ Helpful member
4 Aug 2026, 09:39

Two copies of the same book is brilliant, Helga, and we're ordering them this week.