Local Grandparents, Grandkids Become Great Play Pals!

Many modern grandparents are younger, lead active lifestyles and are often integral caregivers for their grandchildren. According to the National Safe Kids Campaign, one in 10 U.S. grandparents help provide care for grandchildren.

Amy Monahan, Play Pals Coordinator for Saint Anthony's Health Center, said she is seeing growing grandparent involvement among participants in the Play Pals program. Play Pals is an activity program for infants, toddlers and the children’s parents or grandparents. The program provides age-appropriate play and activities that stimulate motor, cognitive and social skills of youngsters six months to three years of age.

In the current Play Pals session, more than a dozen of the 80 participants attend with a grandparent; five youngsters attend with aunts.

“Parents and grandparents realize the importance of organized play and once they enroll the children as infants, they usually stay until they age out of our program,” she said.

Marie Schickedanz and Luella Rust are two grandmothers who attend Play Pals each week with 2-year old grandsons, Landen and Geoffrey, respectively. And as a testament to the educational value of the program, both of these grandmothers are retired educators.

“I am able to provide a lot of experiences for Geoffrey and we do a lot of things. As a speech therapist, I am familiar with where he should be developmentally,” said Mrs. Rust, who retired after 33 years in the Bunker Hill school district. “Play Pals provides him with the social element that’s needed at his age.

Mrs. Schickedanz retired from the Alton school system after 38 years. It was the birth of Landen that helped her to determine her retirement.  “I wanted to have time to be involved in his care. Once he was born, the decision to retire was easier,” Mrs. Schickedanz said. “When you have your own children, you’re so busy, but now, I can focus on him and it’s a joy just to watch him.”

Play Pals is divided into sessions for Tiny Pals, ages six to 12 months; Mini Pals, ages 12 to 24 months; and Motor Pals, for 2-3 year olds. Sessions meet once weekly for 50 minutes in the Play Pals Gym, located on the ground floor of Saint Clare’s Professional Building at 815 East Fifth Street in Alton.

Some grandfathers also attend and participate in Play Pals. Juanita and Henry Cruz, maternal grandparents of Zachary Weiner, 18 months, bring him weekly to his Wednesday morning session.

“I enjoy taking my grandson, Zach, to Play Pals to see how he interacts with the other children,” Mr. Cruz said. “I enjoy seeing him laugh and learn at the same time.”

Monahan said the grandparents and other family members are searching for something of value for their grandchildren, but they also make a contribution to the sessions as well.

“They want the extra learning enrichment that our sessions provide and the time with their grandchildren, but their attendance is also helpful to some of the young or first-time parents,” Monahan noted. “They share their stories and their experience seems to provide an added level of calm and assurance to the parents they interact with. It is really a win-win situation for us all.”

The next six-week Play Pals session begins the week of April 30, followed by a four-week summer session. Gift certificates are available.

To enroll or receive more information, please call 465-2264.