Learn from Your Grandchildren

Fantasy and science fiction are not my jam.

Neither are romances or spy thrillers. I’m a devotee of Jane Austen, generational sagas and mysteries, preferably those with female detectives.

But, my grandchildren are enthralled by dragons and Harry Potter. I am, of course, delighted that they love reading. Visits to libraries and bookstores are always big hits. But do I have to change my literary tastes to enjoy reading with them? Well, yes, I do.

If I want to spend time reading with them, if I want them to like the books I choose as gifts, then I have to appreciate their preferences. I have learned about whole series of stories featuring dragon masters and wizards. I have memorized characters and tried to follow their adventures. When the time comes, I will introduce them to Tolkien and L’Engle, both authors I slogged through as a young adult reader. In the meantime, however, I will continue to buy the occasional Nancy Drew book and send it their way.

The intellectual landscape changes with each generation. My grandmother’s review of the Beatles was, “Give him your hand already and shut up.” I’m not a fan of superhero and dystopian movies. But I do try to experience new things. And everything is new to my grandkids. We senior citizens often rely on our kids and grands to set up our household technology and to rescue us when we can’t figure out how to solve a computer problem. We can depend on them to keep us current about the rest of the world, too.

We assume that we with all the experience are always the best educators. There is much we can learn about entertainment, science, politics and on and on from our children and even our youngest grandchildren. Let them teach you. We all function better when sharing is a two-way street.