GUIDE

My kindergartner's school is holding Grandparents Day, but his grandparents live hours away. How do we keep him from feeling left out?

By the seenow! teamLast updated:

Ask the teacher now how children without a visitor take part. Then give him a stand-in guest, such as an aunt, neighbor or family friend, plus a photo of his grandparents to bring, and set up a call that evening so he can show them what he made.

WHY

Why this happens

Grandparents Day has been on the U.S. calendar since 1978, when President Jimmy Carter's Proclamation 4580 named Sunday, September 10, as National Grandparents Day. Federal law now sets it on the first Sunday in September after Labor Day and asks the President to proclaim it each year, so it can be observed with ceremonies and activities. Because the official day falls on a weekend, schools that celebrate it pick their own school day and invite grandparents into the classroom for a morning or a lunch.

That works for families whose grandparents live in town. For many, it does not. In AARP's 2018 grandparenting survey of 2,654 grandparents, over half had at least one grandchild living more than 200 miles away, and about a third lived more than 50 miles from their closest grandchild. AARP called distance the biggest barrier for grandparents who want to see their grandchildren.

In other words, your son is very unlikely to be the only child in the room without a grandparent. But a five-year-old does not see the statistics. He sees the kid next to him with a grandma on a tiny chair. The goal is to make sure he has someone there, something of his own grandparents with him, and a way to share the day with them afterward.

HOW TO

What you can do starting today

  1. Ask the teacher how it works, earlyNo app needed

    Send a short note a week or two ahead: Who is invited? Can another adult come instead? What will the children make or do? Many teachers already plan for kids without a visitor, and some call it a "special person" day. Knowing the plan lets you prepare him for what the morning will look like.

  2. Line up a stand-in guestNo app needed

    An aunt, uncle, older cousin, family friend or neighbor can fill the chair. Let him help choose, and tell him the person is coming for him. If no one is free, ask whether you or your partner can come, even for part of the time.

  3. Pack his grandparents in his backpackNo app needed

    Print a photo of his grandparents, ideally one with him in it, and ask the teacher if he can show it during the event. Better still, ask the grandparents to mail him a short letter or card to open that morning, so he has something from them in his hands.

  4. Make the evening call about what he madeNo app needed

    Whatever the class makes, a craft, a card or a drawing, is often meant for the grandparents. Plan a video call that evening when he can hold it up, then mail it to them the next day. Ask the grandparents to have one or two questions ready, such as "Who sat next to you?" or "What did you eat?"

  5. Ask for next year's date in AugustNo app needed

    If the grandparents might want to visit someday, ask the school when it holds the event as soon as the calendar comes out. Some schools tie it to National Grandparents Day, which falls on the first Sunday after Labor Day, September 12 in 2027; others choose a different month. Knowing early gives them time to plan a trip.

    Source: 36 U.S. Code § 125, National Grandparents Day (Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute)

WITH SEENOW!

Doing it with seenow!

seenow! is a private family app where everyone takes a short video, about 2 seconds a day. It cannot bring the grandparents into the classroom, but it can make them part of the morning.

A child insists on taking off her own rain boot while her mother listens
Grandma laughs when the dog brings the ball back for one more throw
A boy pauses before launching a paper airplane beside his dad
A little girl peeks out of her blanket fort with a secret smile
AI-generated images inspired by how the app is used.
  • The grandparents can post a 2-second clip in the morning, a wave from their kitchen. Post a clip of him in his backpack, and you can watch their wave together before he leaves; they get a notification when you post.
  • To see that day's clips, each person posts their own first; until then they are blurred. That nudges the grandparents to post on the day itself, so the morning feels shared even from far away.

What seenow! can’t do

  • seenow! does not livestream or video call. For the evening call, use your regular phone.
  • Filming at school depends on the school's rules. Check with the teacher before taking clips in the classroom.

POINT

Things to watch for in this situation

Don't promise a visit you can't deliver

"Maybe Grandma will come" can turn into a long wait at the classroom door. Tell him plainly who is coming, and who will call that night.

Watch for a quiet reaction later

Some kids seem fine at school and only bring it up at bedtime. If he does, let him talk about who came for his classmates, then remind him of the call or the letter from his own grandparents.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Should I keep him home on Grandparents Day?

Talk with the teacher first. Most classes have several children without a local grandparent, and a stand-in guest or a photo usually makes the day easier than missing it.

Can the grandparents join by video call during the event?

That is up to the teacher and the school. Some may allow a short call; many will not during class time. An evening call where he shows them what he made works anywhere.