Our 8-year old Charlotte loves to cook. So does her Grandpa. The fact that granddaughter is in Washington state and Grandpa is in Ohio didn’t stop them one bit.
The other day, Charlotte wanted to make a from-scratch carrot cake, from a book her Great Aunties gave for her birthday.
Her Mommy, a great teacher of cooking skills (and all other things), helped her assemble the wet and dry ingredients the recipe called for. Charlotte even peeled all the carrots.
Charlotte wanted Grandpa to watch her as she assembled the cake and got it ready to put into the oven. That called for a FaceTime session that lasted an hour and a half!
Grandpa sat comfortably in his den and Charlotte was alone in her kitchen. I stayed away — except to snap a photo — because I couldn’t offer any cooking advice. But mostly, it was so granddaughter and grandfather could have this time alone.
“She really knows what she’s doing,” Earl said to me later. “She read the recipe aloud and we both discussed how she would do it.”
He said Charlotte was puzzled when the recipe called for parchment paper. She didn’t know what it was. “I explained, and I guessed a few places it could be in their kitchen. She found it,” Earl said. “She carefully cut a sheet to fit the pan. She knew how to use the cooking spray the instructions called for, too. I was impressed.”
Grandpa admitted much of the time was spent with the two of them talking and laughing … and I loved to hear that coming from down the hall. They both followed “safety first” when it came time to use the hand mixer.
When the batter was in the pan, Charlotte went to get Mommy to put the pans in the oven.
The next day Grandpa and Charlotte had another cooking session while she made the from-scratch frosting.
Granted, Grandpa didn’t get to sample the finished product. “Doesn’t matter,” he says with a smile.
He offers this observation: “You know, helping someone via video chat might be better than helping them in person. I could not take over any aspect of the project but rather could just give her verbal advice and instructions.”
Whether you FaceTime, Skype, Google Duo, or Facebook Portal, check out more unique opportunities on my post “You can do THAT?”
What are some non-mainstream activities you have done while video chatting? Please use the Comments section below.
Our 5-year old grandson Branson is teaching our dog Max tricks on Skype. Grandpa gives Max the treat when he follows a command by Brandon. (Okay, Grandpa is providing a lot of help but Branson thinks he’s doing it!))
Lynn Marie, I love this idea. Grandpa is very clever. What memories you are making with Branson, even miles away!
Jane
I absolutely love this! My grandson is 8 months old so we basically just watch him play and try to get his attention occasionally. He’s very active and crawling everywhere. After a few FaceTime sessions that could have ended with motion sickness meds, I ordered a tripod for my daughter to put her phone on. Now I can see the entire room and watch our little guy wherever he goes! He got a little fussy the other day when his Mama left the room so I called his name a couple of times and he found me on the tripod high above on the TV stand and smiled. This Gammy’s heart just melted as I calmed him down with a little song until Mama got back. Texas is too far away from Kentucky!
Oh, Debbie, thanks for your nice words!
I know what you mean about the heart melting. Our youngest grandson is 11 months old … and yesterday on FaceTime as he tried to get us to sing “Barbara Ann” by the Beach Boys (“Ba-bran” he said, as he rocked back and forth), I did tear up! Every month is just more and more connection! Until before you know it, the 8-year old is doing a recipe with her Grandpa on FaceTime.
I agree: Texas is too far away from Kentucky. Just as Ohio is too far away from Washington. But you and I are bound and determined to stay connected to our grandchildren. It really does happen, Debbie!
I can’t agree more with Earl’s observation about video vs in person. How easy it is to just take over when instead, he and his granddaughter had the joy of him just watching, coaching, speaking, encouraging, and congratulating!
Thanks for weighing in, Julie! Earl read your response, too, and totally agrees with it. Video chatting kind of forces us to put our hands behind our back, so to speak. Good for the grandkids!
Jane