SUMMER PI EASURES

Grand limes

From the art museum to gardening, local grandparents share their favorite
grandchild/ grandparent activities.

RUTHAN BRODSKY SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

iriam and Sheldon
Sandweiss, of Bev-
erly Hills, enjoy
A ■ seven grandchil-
dren, ages 6 to 20.
"I love to take them to the
Detroit Institute of Arts, even
when they're very young," says
Mrs. Sandweiss. "There are ex-
hibits there for children of all
ages.
"The younger ones love the suits
of armor, the Egyptian mummies
and lunch in the courtyard. The
museum is fascinating. It reminds
the children of a castle with its
many rooms and royal purple
carpet running up the stairs.
The trick is to stay just long
enough so they want more.
The hope is that when they
get older, they'll want to visit
the DIA."
Today's grandparents, like
the Sandweisses, live an active
life with their grandchildren.
There are 55 million grand-
parents in this county. Grand-
parenting as a life stage has
attracted attention from acad-
emic and clinical quarters,
emerging as a new field of
study.
Previously, information
about grandparents could only
be found in literature or
through personal interviews,
now the subject is explored by
clinicians and researchers who

view it as a measurement for a
meaningful later life.
Old stereotypes of grandparent-
ing no longer apply and, given our
greater longevity and affluence,
many are forced to reexamine their
roles.
The grandparent-grandchild
bond remains only second to the
parent-child relationship. And if
grandparents are fortunate enough
to become grandparents at the right
time in life, then they're probably
acting out what is now termed the
"grandparenting drive."

Grandparents are the nurturers,
the living ancestors, the mentors,
the providers of unconditional love.
They are the heroes who teach chil-
dren things they'll never learn in
school.
Whether they are sharing a
home with their grandchildren or
are separated by a whole continent,
there are many ways in which
grandparents can give grandchil-
dren the gift of time by making the
most of the opportunities they have
to be with them.
Experts believe it's beneficial for

children to know there are other
adults besides their parents who
deeply care for them.
For grandparents, the grand-
children are a blessing, a hope, a
wonderment, and a compilation of
all the things that are right in this
world.
Taking a grandchild on a small
trip to celebrate a special occasion
is a tradition the Sandweiss fami-
ly recommends. For those who are
looking for places to go that are
close to home, Mrs. Sandweiss
suggests taking grandchildren to

the great movies shown at the De-
troit Science Center, walking
around the nature trails in Farm-
ington's Heritage Park and visiting
the Cranbrook campus.
Cranbrook, in Bloomfield Hills,
one of this state's finest architec-
tural landmarks, is a wonderful
place to spend a few hours with
grandchildren of any age. The
grounds are lovely and cover a large
area.
The Cranbrook Institute of Sci-
ence has exhibits throughout the
summer in addition to planetarium
and Lasera shows and a
hands-on Physics Hall. This
summer's special exhibit is
"EarthQuest," an enviro-ad-
venture that engages visitors
in a high-tech, hands-on chal-
lenge to reduce waste and re-
cycle.
In "The Pick of the Litter"
exhibit in the Recycle
Zone, visitors sort through
"garbage" to learn what items
can be re-used. The "Art of
the Automobile" also will be
on exhibit this summer, and
plans for special children's pro-
gams are in the works.
For many grandparents,
some of the fondest memo-
ries with grandchildren are

GRAND TIMES page 60

Last year, Miriam Sandweiss
attended Fresh Air Society's
Kinder Camp program at Butzel
with her granddaughter.

S59