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| Grandma and I in 1991 |
I often talk about my Grandma Vincent. We had a very close relationship when I was growing up. She was always soft, gentle, and kind. Whenever we visited her, she would always hold my husband's hand.
I aspire to be the kind of grandmother that Grandma Vincent was. She passed away in 1995, just five days after my youngest child was born. Even though many years have passed, I miss her every day.
I once saw a quote about grief that said, "Be the things you love most about the person who is gone." That is exactly what I try to do.
Grandma was a first-grade teacher, and I can easily understand why her students adored her. Mrs. Vincent was well-versed in nursery rhymes and stories, and she knew all the songs that were popular with young children. When she retired, we grandchildren were still quite young, and we benefited greatly from her expertise.
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Mrs. Vincent with her students
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She taught me to read at an early age. I remember sitting with her during our "special times"—those quiet moments when my younger brother was asleep in his crib. She would pull out my special scribbler, and together we would work on my alphabet and phonics.
Grandma Vincent lived in a series of small, modest apartments, but she always had a drawer set aside just for us grandkids. That drawer was filled with empty toilet paper rolls, cardboard inserts from pantyhose packages, bits of yarn, and a package of wax crayons. When I visited, I would dive into that drawer with creative zeal, passing the time making puppets, paper dolls, and other crafty treasures.
I encourage other grandparents to create similar spaces for their grandchildren—places where creativity and imagination can thrive. It doesn’t take much! I have been fortunate to have extra storage space in our most recent home. When we moved in a few years ago, I was thrilled to discover that we had not one but two hall closets! We had barely signed the lease when I declared to my husband that one of those closets would be designated as "Grandma’s Craft Closet." Although the upper shelf may hold a few other things, the majority of the closet is dedicated to my grandchildren and their arts and crafts activities.
The kids know that when they come to visit, they can request to open Grandma’s Craft Closet and dive into an activity! I love watching them engage in creative play, just as I did with my own grandmother.
You may be wondering what I have on my shelves:
One of my favorite activities to do with my youngest granddaughter is to draw scenes on construction paper—perhaps a landscape or, my favorite, a house interior with bookshelves. Then, I let her place stickers on the scene I have created. I often find fun stickers at the local dollar store that work perfectly for this—whether is little toys or ornaments to place on drawn shelves or animals in a nature scene.
If you are a grandparent, I encourage you to carve out a small space—whether it’s a closet, a drawer, or just a storage box—to inspire your grandchildren’s creativity. It doesn’t take much to create meaningful memories that they will cherish for a lifetime. Inspired by that modest little drawer at Grandma Vincent’s house, Grandma’s Craft Closet has become a one-stop shop for inspiration and an inexpensive way to keep the grandkids entertained at our house!
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