Cantissimo Senior Living Blog

Benjamin Franklin famously said, "…in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes." A corollary to this could be, "It's a certainty that families hate to talk about death and money."

Discussing money seems to be a challenging subject for even the most talkative families. A study showed that 44% of respondents found money the most challenging topic to talk about, more than religion or politics or even death. Yet, talking about money with others, especially family members, could help avoid significant financial problems.

Parents of adult children face two crucial money conversations – your money and their money.

In our recent blog, 5 Ideas to Safely Celebrate the Holidays During COVID-19, we mentioned that playing games on a Zoom call is a fun way to safely stay in contact and have fun with family and friends. While there are endless games that can be played over Zoom, here is a list of ten games and instructions on how to play each game:

     1. Charades

To begin playing charades over Zoom, split the participants into two teams. Each player can write down ten phrases on pieces of paper (person, place, thing, movie, book, TV show, etc.), fold up the papers, and put them in a bowl. When a player's turn is up, they can choose a phrase and act it out on camera for their team members to guess within a time limit. If their team correctly guesses the phrase, their team earns a point, but if they cannot guess the phrase in time, the other team gets the point. At the end, the team accumulating the most points wins!

     2. Pictionary

Like charades, split the Zoom participants into two groups and have each player prepare ten phrases on pieces of paper, fold them, put them into a bowl, and mix them up.

When I was five, my parents made a fateful decision. They invited my widowed great-aunt to live with us.

My mother's parents had both died by the time she was twelve. She was adopted by her Aunt Lillian and Uncle George, who lived in a large Newark, New Jersey brownstone with Lillian's parents. A three-generation household came into being.

By the time my mom and dad were married, her grandparents and Uncle George had passed away. When my father was transferred to Dallas, mom and dad felt anxious that Aunt Lil would be alone in Newark. So began our 17-year stint as our own three-generation family.

The situation had its ups and downs. Lil had a bedroom of her own, but that was her only private space, which was probably difficult for her. Childless herself, she seemed to compete with my mom for the title of family matriarch. Reminiscing years later, my mom said that was the most challenging aspect of the arrangement.

From a child's perspective, three generations living under one roof seemed normal. It drilled into me the value of "we take care of our own." While the whole family pitched in, my mother was the primary caregiver all the way to the point where Aunt Lil was bed-ridden. It wasn't until Lil acquired bedsores that my parents arranged for a skilled nursing home. Ironically, the day before she was to move in, she died.

This experience drove home for me the sometimes complicated nature of a multigenerational household. While we gained much as a family, it was also stressful. Therefore, families must carefully consider the implications of older parents moving in with their adult children.

As the United States enters the tenth month in quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the holiday season will look different this year.

Within the past month, coronavirus cases have risen. November 3rd, 2020, marked a record high of 100,667 COVID-19 hospitalizations. As of the beginning of December, the U.S. has had 14,736,470 reported cases of COVID-19 and 285,280 deaths.

After Thanksgiving, there have been reported spikes of coronavirus cases, most likely caused by college students going home and families gathering, as usual. With Thanksgiving in the past, the temperatures will continue to drop, and the opportunities to gather outside will soon be even more limited for many states. Now, looking forward to Hanukkah, Christmas, and the new year, extra safety precautions must be taken to ensure others' safety. At the same time, the nation patiently waits for the arrival of a vaccine.

While it is disappointing to break holiday traditions, there are still ways to celebrate the holidays safely. Now is the time to make new traditions and continue showing love and appreciation for loved ones.

Spending time with your grandchildren is so lovely. Unfortunately, it can be challenging to keep them occupied and attentive, and all too often, you hear that they are bored. This is especially challenging during the winter season when they may not be able to do many of their favorite outdoor activities. If you are looking for ideas to spend quality time together over the coming cold months, don't worry! This article outlines ten fantastic ideas that will not only keep them occupied but help you build cherished memories together too.

Whether you live with your grandchildren or are visiting via Zoom or other virtual meeting tools, there are many fun and engaging things that can be done with your grandchildren. These activities can be teaching experiences in many ways. Even the youngest grandchild will do well listening to your voice as you tell stories or read to them. To help get you started, here are some of my favorite activities to do with grandchildren, even if we are not in the same room:

The holidays are coming up! For many of us, that means it's time to shop and get everyone the perfect gifts. With the presence of the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing restrictions, this year, shopping online is the way to go! Don't worry; you can still save money! In fact, shopping online provides many unique opportunities to ensure you are getting the best possible price. Read on to learn about seven different ways you can squeeze every penny out of your online shopping experience.

     7. Use Coupon-Finding Browser Extensions

Coupons exist online in the form of promo codes that you can use at checkout. Sites often have dozens of active discount codes, but it can take some digging to find them. Many discount codes can be found if you search around online, but these code-collecting websites are not always up-to-date. It can be frustrating when you have to spend time testing your luck with a lot of expired codes.

The solution? Browser extensions like Honey find all of the relevant coupon codes for you and apply them with just a click of the mouse. It will attempt a collection of codes and automatically apply the best discount. To install Honey (for free), make an account on their website (https://www.joinhoney.com/), and download the browser extension.

As fall arrives and students return to school, it might seem difficult to spend as much time with grandchildren. However, fall presents many fantastic opportunities to try new activities and make the most of your quality time together. Many of which can easily be done at home and safely socially distanced. If you could use some ideas, we've got you covered in this article. We will show you our top 10 best autumn activities to do with your grandchildren:

     1. Apple Picking

Going for apple picking with your grandchildren is a great way to get some exercise, fresh air, and delicious fruit. Look for the best apples in the orchard and bring them home to make a pie or other tasty treats. An apple orchard also makes a fantastic setting for some family photos that will be cherished for years to come.

Video conferencing has exploded since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Also known as video calling, this technology uses your computer or smartphone to see the people you talk to and hear them. This can be to simply catch up, or even enjoy nights together from afar with virtual learning activities or playing games together remotely! If you have not started using this method to communicate with your loved ones, this blog will give you the basics for joining a Zoom (the most popular type) video call.

Memories with Grandma and Grandpa are something youngsters will love and cherish for many years to come. At the same time, it can be challenging to come up with ideas and activities that will be memorable and enjoyable for everyone. To help find things everybody might appreciate, we have assembled a list of twelve fun activities you can do with your grandchildren during the next visit.