What have you taught your grandchildren?

My gd is only two, but I am a history nut, so I am hoping to teach her some (quite a lot actually) as we go along. I would love her to take an interest in historic buildings and learn how to look at them. History is NOT boring!!!

To jump in puddles, climb a slide on the wrong side, roll down hills, hop scotch, make pancakes. You get my drift.

Baking with our granddaughters, they learned the basics and also that things do (often!) not turn out quite as planned . How to do blanket stitch, sometching I thought I had forgotten.

Our grandson has been introduced to growing - and eating - vegetables. Not so many, all in garden pots, but still exciting and good with his parents’ excellent Sunday roast.

8 GC aged 5 - 18 yrs. we have baked, craft including collage, quilling, knitting and crochet. Riding bikes, swimming, kayaking. All to varying degrees of ability. I love it! Sometimes more than they do ! ??

Ealdemodor

My gd is only two, but I am a history nut, so I am hoping to teach her some (quite a lot actually) as we go along. I would love her to take an interest in historic buildings and learn how to look at them. History is NOT boring!!!

but supposing yr GD is not interested in old buildings but in worms and spiders.
will you join her enthusiasm in that.
nothing worse than being dragged round some museum with a fanatic screeching about sutton hoo treasures.
i know whereof i speak. and i'd just had a tooth out. and we had to go on tube to get there. with poeple smoking. i felt unwell. then being dragged up vast stairs, among crowds. i wanted to be quiet and still.
but i never had any GPs. and i;m not saying OP is like that, but it did sound a bit like, we have ways of making you enjoy history.
also beware the MN thread: but we took you to stately homes...

sorry it wasn't OP, but the quoted poster.

My younger son adored museums when he was a child. He hoped to pass his love of them on to his son, but so far it hasn’t worked. Before their last holiday the boy said “No museums and no wine shops”

The best way to enthuse kids about something is to be enthusiastic.

I have taught mine, do not mess with nanny?
To appreciate everything around them, their lovely home and parents, to be kind and respectable to everyone, including themselves, work hard at school and have as much fun as possible and enjoy being young, oh and read lots of books.
Also all the capitals of the world, longest rivers, tallest buildings, famous women in history, lots of trivia, how to cook, to play cards, ping pong, really loads of stuff, I’ve enjoyed every minute so far, hope they have too.

GS are 11 and 8 respectively.
We haven't had enough contact over the years for various reasons for us to teach them specific skills but I'd like to think I'd had a hand in their love of nature and animals.

i still have a pavlovian flinch response to the very mention of sutton hoo.

Baking and watercolour painting, just started on knitting and sewing

Actually what they taught me! Everything I know about IT!

You're not wrong there BlueSky! I was having a senior moment and couldn't find a particular app on my phone. GD calmly took the phone off me, searched through and found it and said "I've put it on your home screen Granny, so that you'll be able to find it again"!

Just remembered that, as we've spent quite a lot of time at the wild birds lake this summer, I've been teaching them the male/female names of swans, ducks, geese etc. And what berries are safe to pick and which must never be touched.

About growing vegetables, they’ve sown seeds, watered, dug up potatoes, picked radish, tomatoes, carrots and beans. DD has grown beans and tomatoes with them, they have squash and pumpkin to pick for Halloween.

To be interested in all sorts of things: history, natural history, how to sew a skirt for herself, to knit. To be adventurous and inquisitive, I hope.

A love of books.

Same here Furret we all love reading.

I taught them to appreciate art and to have a go themselves. DDL didn't like them making a mess at home but at our house they were allowed to mix paints to their hearts' content. We had a very battered old table then, which had already witnessed the artistic efforts of DS and DD, so when the DGC came along it had already been 'christened' and a few more stains and scratches didn't matter. We bought a new posh table when the DGC grew out of wanting art sessions and the old table now resides in the garage as I can't bear to part with it. I also had a go at teaching them wild flower names but I was less successful at that. I think they would still recognise a primrose and a bluebell though.

Nursery rhymes and popular songs when they were small. M particularly loved Teddy bears picnic and Little Donkey I would sing her that to get her to sleep as a toddler.

The basics of knitting although it’s been a bit hard going and lots of patience needed on both sides. We’ve done art and crafting at the dining room tables and I’ve introduced them to all their mums and aunties children’s books which Id kept.

We’ve baked cakes and now they can make their favourite choc chip buns on their own I just supply the ingredients. We’ve also done lots of puzzles together , both jigsaws and puzzle books, I always buy new ones of these when we go on holiday

I hope I’ve helped to teach them to be kind and think of others.

I’ve taught my nearly 8 y o GS about the planets, where they are in relation to one another, their names, and their composition. To get him in touch with his feminine side I’ve been taking him for walks and identifying flowers with him - no more than, say, 3 at a time or his interest would wane.
I see less of my 2 GDs at the moment but I have started an interest in naming trees, and they always seem to remember them. I’ve also taught them lots of songs that children don’t seem to know these days. I love being with the GC and have missed them recently.

Bellanonna, oh yes, flowers, trees, and mini beasts!
To read and to love books.
For two of them at 6 and 9 I was able to improve their handwriting in half an hour. Both left handed, they weren’t starting letters in the right place. Having experience of teaching reception I took them back to basics and they understood why. They believed me that correct formation and joins would make writing both quicker and neater. Every child wants speed, most parents and teachers want legibility!

To enjoy museums and galleries and to know that many are still free of charge.
To show respect for other people.

I don’t think I’ve taught mine anything behaviour wise, their parents have done a good enough job, but I have taught them to sign the alphabet.