What would grandmothering be without tea parties and dress-ups?
For myself, they are an integral part of “Grandma Magic.”
Years ago I came up with the idea to have a themed overnighter with my granddaughters. Requirements for each girl:
- Select a person who has made a difference in the world
- Dress as she would have dressed in that time frame of her existence
- Bring a 5-minute report about her to present
- Include the qualities you admire and why you want to be like her
The results of this party exceeded my expectations. Even the oldest darling came dressed in a suit befitting her selection. She gave an excellent thorough history and shared how why and how she would try to emulate her choice. Their selections were very interesting and often amusing. One year I had Queen Elizabeth and Princess Diane and they were clearly at odds throughout the get-together. I wish I had pictures of Pocahontas with her big brown eyes looking up at me beneath the Indian band. At the conclusion of the reports, each girl filled out a page about “How I Can Make a Difference” and I saved these to give to them 10 years later.
Included in the I Can Make A Difference event was a special dinner and a sleepover in matching pajamas. They stayed in character the entire time—British accent and all for the two visitors from England.
The girls grew up and some moved away yet the memory of those times together remains. And I truly believe because they saw themselves as capable of doing so, they are making a difference.
