Latest news with #intergenerational
CBS News
7 hours ago
- General
- CBS News
Third graders and seniors bond through pen pal program in Andover
For months, third graders at Crooked Lake Elementary have been trading letters with pen pals a few generations older. On Friday, they finally met face-to-face. The pen pal program, organized by the school and Griswold Home Care, paired students with seniors living in nearby retirement communities. Since September, the two groups have been corresponding the old-fashioned way: one handwritten letter at a time. "Having that connection piece between seniors and kids has been really rewarding," said Nicole Myhre, owner and director of Griswold Home Care. "Everybody is so excited to meet their pen pal today." Students welcomed their senior pen pals with snacks, laughter and a tour of the school. The energy in the room was high. "It was fun because he would tell me stuff that I didn't know before, and I would tell him stuff he didn't know before," said Brody, a third grader. "My pen pal liked to talk about sports and holidays," said Howie, another student. "We just really liked talking to each other and getting to know each other." For seniors, the letters offered a meaningful way to connect during a time in life when social ties can start to fade. "When you're older, you don't have as many contacts," said Joanne Hansen. "So it's good to receive greetings from pen pals." The kids enjoyed connecting too. "It was really fun to learn about her story, and I just couldn't wait to meet her," said Eloise, a student. "And now it finally came!" For some, the experience was like a recieving an exciting gift. "It was like getting a Christmas present," said Reed, a third grader. "I've never had a pen pal before." Teachers say the program also helped students improve their writing skills, practice reading cursive and learn to communicate thoughtfully. Organizers hope the impact of the program lasts long after the school year ends.
Telegraph
3 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
Why baby boomers are the backbone of middle-class Britain
Why do so many younger people feel they are disadvantaged relative to older generations? The narrative of intergenerational 'unfairness' – recently explored in a Telegraph piece on whether boomers are the 'victim generation' – pervades social discourse, and I find it really troubling. Pitting one section of society against another, on the basis of perceived 'fairness', damages the fabric of our country. In truth, there are vast differences in income and wealth throughout the population, both across and within age groups. Many young people are well-paid, and they certainly enjoy far more leisure time and holidays than previous generations, along with flexible working and much better employment protections than the baby-boomers could ever have imagined – which we have fought hard to achieve. Indeed, the post-war baby-boomers are the backbone of middle-class Britain, and have been the bastion of trying to safeguard British values while championing progress. Of course, there are vast differences among people in their 60s and early 70s, but in general, they tend to have a strong work ethic – want to support themselves and their families, avoid living on benefits – and will work even when feeling unwell, because they are loyal to their employer or their business. This is the generation that built the country we know and love today – they are disciplined, self-reliant and resourceful, unafraid of competition, and strive to improve themselves and help their families as much as they can. As Anthony New, a Telegraph reader, puts it: ''When we were growing up, many of us were very poor but we worked hard and balanced our budgets carefully.' The baby-boomers are also the heart of many of our charities and volunteering networks. They take responsibility for others, not just themselves, and want to 'give back' to society. They tend to be very community-minded and want to 'do the right thing' – which sometimes requires self-sacrifice, but baby-boomers have been brought up to believe this is how society works well. Their parents, who went through the war years, had real deprivations, while baby-boomers had very little when young but nevertheless worked hard to rebuild the country, taking advantage of post-war industrial and technological improvements. Despite all of this, too many commentators blame baby-boomers for selfishly gathering more than their 'fair share' of national resources, depriving them of their rightful dues. They accuse them of being 'lucky' to afford their own homes, enjoy free university education, and get big pensions. These accusations are much more perception than reality. Of course those at the end of their career will be better off than those just starting their working life. As Deborah Skinner, another Telegraph reader, puts it: 'We worked bloody hard throughout our life. Never had savings or a rich family to fall back on.' The baby-boomers scrimped and saved to afford sky-high mortgage interest. No holidays, spending cut to the bone, and working for years before they could buy a property. Less than ten per cent of baby-boomers went to university. The vast majority started work at 15, 16 or 18 – with many going into apprenticeships, bringing home an income straight from school. So by the time they reached their late twenties, they had already been earning money and saving for ten to fifteen years. Today's younger people, many of whom have higher education, do not reach this point until their early or mid-thirties. And as for pensions. Well, less than half of baby-boomers – and particularly women – were offered an employer pension. There was no auto-enrolment, no automatic right to a pension or any other workplace benefit. Women could be barred from pensions and generous maternity rights. Even basic employment protections against harassment and unfair dismissal were not the norm – we had to fight for women's working conditions to improve. So, it's time to stop this 'oldie bashing' and start to appreciate that each generation contributes to society, and the intergenerational envy that has crept into conventional thinking for too many younger people does not reflect reality. In fact it builds dangerous resentment. There are inequalities everywhere. Rather than trying to take money away from baby-boomers, who did so much to improve our country, let's work together as a society. It is the turn of younger generations now to carry us forward and build an even better future. Will they rise to the challenge?
BBC News
29-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
The Coventry care home bringing children and elderly people together
As Row, Row, Row Your Boat is sung at this care home and children play with the elderly residents, staff say both age groups are feeling the are taking part in the weekly Grandfriends playgroup at the Avalon Court Care Home in Tile Hill, Coventry, set up by childminder Lisa and toddlers join the residents for some fun and one of them, Sue Queen, 82, says they love the visits from the youngsters."I think we're often ignored when you get to our age and it's lovely to come here where we're part of it," she said. Launched in 2017, Ms Taylor said she was inspired by the effects the children she works with had on her own grandparents."Even with advanced dementia, they could still sing nursery rhymes, because it's stored differently in our brain and you've got the emotional connection," she pitched the idea to several care homes in the city, Avalon Court picked it up. At their latest playgroup, eight-year-old Rosie helps 86-year-old Dennis Oliver remember the actions to Incy Wincy is one of the children who come back to visit in the school holidays, even when they are too old to take part in first met when Rosie was in preschool."I enjoyed coming because we did all these fun activities," she said."We sang songs and I got to see the grandfriends.""She tapped me on the shoulder and I didn't recognise her," added Mr Oliver. "She's so grown up." Nearby Mrs Queen and Mary Cliffe, 80, sing Row, Row, Row Your Boat and hold hands with their young both said they loved the visits, especially as their own families did not live close to them."I think what happens is they walk into this room," said Ms Cliffe. "[And they think] 'Oh yes, I know where I am, I can start running now'." Home manager Rachael Thorpe said she loved seeing new relationships being formed."To actually see the children going up to the residents and seeing that resident and child become alive, it's just such a heartwarming experience," she explained. Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
27-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Boy, 14 and woman, 77, become friends through anti-loneliness scheme
A teenager and a septuagenarian have struck up a friendship thanks to a charity's scheme to reduce loneliness among the 14, met 77-year-old Linda through the Adopt a Grandparent project and spent several months speaking to her on the pair finally met for the first time in person in an emotional encounter at Acorn Lodge care home in Nuneaton earlier this said despite the 63-year gap, they were "no barriers to do with age" between them. Adopt a Grandparent was founded in 2019 by Shaleeza Hasham who wanted to take action to " abolish loneliness amongst the older and younger communities".The project initially focused on encouraging local people to "adopt" a grandparent in care homes and make regular visits to spend quality time Daniel, who lives in London, was matched with Linda as part of the Duke of Edinburgh scheme and because they had shared said he felt speechless after their meeting on 7 May."[It's] absolutely unbelievable. It's incredible, I can't even speak right now," said the teen, who arrived with told the BBC she thought the scheme was a way to bring "different generations together" and her friendship with Daniel was "extremely special"."Unfortunately my grandchildren live in Australia, so I only get to see them at certain times," she said."[Daniel] is a very, very pleasant person and sometimes when you're feeling bit low all you need is someone to speak to."But in my case I got everything all in one package, so I feel quite privileged actually. He's very natural, there's no barriers to do with age." Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
The Guardian
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Le Film de Mon Père review – father's videotape legacy sparks intergenerational dialogue
The genesis of Jules Guarneri's documentary – his first – comes from an unusual gift. Having made more than 20 hours of a filmed diary, his father, Jean, entrusted the material to the budding director, hoping that it would form the building blocks for his son's first feature. These visual journals, in which the older man addresses the camera – and ultimately Guarneri – with recollections from his past, are awash with nostalgia and regret. As Jean's recordings are interspersed with Guarneri's own footage of his family, what starts out as a monologue gradually transforms into an intergenerational dialogue between father and son. Filmed with a fixed camera, Jean's diaries have a static quality that echoes the stagnancy of his life story. Christabel, his wife and Guarneri's mother, was an heiress, and the couple lived as idle rich in the Swiss village of Villars. Jean's recordings are haunted by his inability to fulfil his artistic pursuits, and he urges Guarneri to follow through on his projects. This environment of inertia, however, is infectious: Iwa and Oskar, Guarneri's adopted siblings from Colombia, live on the same estate as their father, albeit in two separate chalets. Even though Christabel has long since died, it seems impossible for the children to cut the umbilical cord and strike out on their own. Grappling with this baggage, Guarneri's documentary is especially fascinating in how it acknowledges the limitations of the medium itself. Jean, who furnishes his home with countless photographs of his wife after her death, appears to believe in the possibility of catharsis through creativity; Guarneri, by contrast, grows ever more doubtful of this idea over the course of filming. In a sea of personal documentaries about the home, this self-awareness lends a refreshing ambivalence to a well-trodden genre. Le Film de Mon Père is on True Story from 16 May.
