Words of Wisdom – Krys and Doug

Krys Badger, 73, and her husband Doug, 71, of Great Alne Park, have been embracing technology to stay connected with their family through the coronavirus pandemic. Krys, a retired social worker, and Doug, a former social work lecturer, share their story, as well as advice for younger generations in celebration of Grandparents Day on Sunday 4 October 2020.

Krys

“We started doing video calls with our granddaughters, Alice, eight, and Charlotte, five, during Covid-19 because their parents were working from home, and home-schooling. We offered to try to ease that a bit.

We have the video calls three times a week on WhatsApp or FaceTime, using our iPad or iPhone. It started as bedtime stories, and the girls show us their dances and sing. We even came up with the idea of putting photos of Alice and Charlotte on cushions, so we can give them a ‘virtual’ cuddle at the end of our chats.

We’ve been having video chats on Houseparty, too, which is good for young children because there are some games on there. And because Alice and Charlotte both enjoy singing, I’ve been teaching them songs by The Seekers. You have to be imaginative when video calling with children.

But when they do come to visit, Alice, Charlotte and I have rides on our scooters because we each have one. We also take them to the on-site swimming pool, which they love.”

Doug

“The video chats are different to ordinary phone calls because we can see our grandchildren, who have both grown over the last few months.

We wonder how Alice and Charlotte will view the world, particularly after Covid-19. It’s important to know how they’re feeling and thinking and that they don’t get too anxious. We want to reassure them that a lot of things are OK, despite this upside-down world we live in.

I would say to any young person – especially Alice and Charlotte – that it’s a good life that is worth living.”