Ms. Dottie loved to encourage people, so much so that it became her job. As Ambassador of Encouragement, she would write cards, read newsletters, and give lots of hugs. You could always count on her to cheer you up on a bad day. She was definitely everyone’s favorite co-worker. We are so fortunate to have seniors who invest in us and share their wisdom. Kids can benefit from friendships with the elderly. Kids need to know how they can build relationships with seniors so they can take advantage of that. It’s a great lesson for kids to learn while they’re young for a couple reasons. One, it’ll influence how they care for seniors as adults. Second, God cares about it! 
Maybe you’ve seen a movie, kids cartoon, or online video that makes adults look foolish and the kids out to be the heroes or the ones who really know what’s best. Do you ever wonder why kids have such disrespect for adults? They need to be taught how to treat others with love, dignity, and respect. And that is especially true for how they treat those who are older. The Bible teaches us to love and care for our neighbors, that includes our seniors. If you also read some of the apostle Paul’s letters, you’ll notice Paul gives instructions for how the church he’s writing to is to care for widows and seniors. God cares about seniors and He wants kids to care for them to! Here’s three ideas for helping kids build relationships with seniors. 
First, help kids know how to care for the elderly. Kids will benefit from relationships with seniors, but they need to be taught how to treat them and what to expect when talking with the elderly. Seniors may have some speech or hearing impediments. This can be frustrating for kids, so it’s good to explain this ahead of time. Some seniors might not be able to keep up with the kids, so encourage them to let their older friends set the pace. I also make sure my kids have respectful tones and attitudes when talking to seniors. It’s easy for kids to think older generations are boring, so encourage them to have a happy heart and good attitude when talking with them. They may just realize it’s good to have friends who are different than their normal friend groups. 
Second, you can encourage kids to make seniors their friends. Many seniors love having younger children as their friends. Kids can have that same excitement. If you know a trustworthy elderly relative or friend, encourage kids to spend time with them and build a friendship. One way to encourage kids can be to tell them stories about a senior who has impacted your life, like my friend Ms. Dottie. Another way to get kids excited is to find a common hobby or interest. Lots of kids I know enjoy doing arts and crafts projects with their grandparents and elderly friends. They can paint or make cards together. Maybe there’s a book they can read or an activity book with games and puzzles they can do together. “Wonder-Fun” and “Things You Need to Know” are engaging and fun activity books kids will love doing with the help of their grandparents and elderly friends and are available at cefpress.com. You can also find good activity sheets online or at a dollar store.  
Finally, give kids opportunities to build relationships with seniors. Once the kids have found that common interest or hobby, encourage them to invite an elderly friend to spend some time together to do it. I’ve found that holidays are a great time for hanging out with seniors. For example, maybe kids and seniors can do Christmas or Easter themed activity books, make cards, or bake treats together. If you have older parents or neighbors that you check up on, you can also invite kids to help you. Is there a simple errand or chore that kids can do to help them out? What about seniors who don’t have family close by? When kids befriend a senior, they can be a great blessing to them. Here’s an example from one of my friends. One Sunday a month, her Sunday School visits the local nursing home and sings songs to them. The residents love getting to sing along to their favorite hymns with the kids and have some time of fellowship. If you’d like a copy of this information so you can review it with the kids in your life, see the Article on Teaching Kids to Care for the Elderly at CEFonline.com.