Introduction

💜 Long-distance grandparents often wonder how to truly connect with their grandkids—especially through a screen.

In this video, I share how grandparents can become their storytime grandparent, even from miles away, without competing with parents or replacing existing bedtime routines.

Young children experience connection through familiarity—predictable routines, favorite stories, familiar phrases, and even the same ending line each time. These small, repeated moments help children feel safe, known, and deeply connected. 🥰

I share a personal example from my own family about honoring my grandson’s special bedtime storytime with his dad—while still creating a storytime role that is uniquely mine. Every family is different, and storytime doesn’t have to look the same to be meaningful.

You don’t have to be present every night to be deeply remembered. When storytime feels familiar and consistent, it becomes part of a child’s sense of belonging—no matter the distance.🏹

If you’re longing to create that special connection with your grandkids and would like help creating a simple, meaningful virtual storytime routine that feels natural and connected, I hope you’ll download my free Storytime Shortcut here:
👉 https://tammykersey.com/shortcut-landing

You don’t need more time. You just need to create the right moments. 🎯

New here? I’m Tammy — a children’s picture book author and virtual Grammy sharing what I’m learning about storytime, connection, and long-distance grandparenting. I hope you’ll connect with me!

Video

How Grandparents Become “Their Favorite Story Person” From Miles Away

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🎥 Video Transcript

INTRODUCTION

You know, as long-distance grandparents I think we have this quiet worry we don’t always say out loud:

“Do they really know me?”

And right behind that is another one:
“How do I fit into their life—especially when I’m not there?”

If you’ve ever wondered how to create a real, meaningful storytime relationship with your grandchild from far away—one that feels special and personal—this video is for you.

And I want to say this up front:
You don’t have to replace anyone.
You don’t have to compete.
You get to become their storytime grandparent.

THE CORE IDEA

Here’s something really important to understand about young children:

They don’t experience connection the way adults do.
They experience it through familiarity.

Familiar voices.
Familiar rhythms.
Familiar moments that happen again…and again…and again.

That’s how belonging and connection are built.

PERSONAL EXAMPLE

Let me give you a real-life example from my own family.

My grandson’s regular bedtime storytime person is his dad.

And that time is really special to them.
My son-in-law works, my grandson is little, and evenings are short. That storytime belongs to them—and it should.

So instead of trying to squeeze myself into that role, I realized something important:

I don’t need to be the storytime person.
I can be a different one.

And that realization changed everything.

WHAT THIS MAY LOOK LIKE FOR YOU

Now, every family is different.

Some grandparents are filling a gap.
Some are complementing what already exists.
Some grandkids have rich bedtime routines—and some don’t.

The key isn’t copying what someone else is doing.
It’s understanding the storytime relationships your grandchild already has…and creating one that adds something uniquely you.

HOW CHILDREN RECOGNIZE "THEIR" PERSON

This is where storytime becomes really powerful.

Children recognize “their people” through a few simple things:

1️⃣ Predictability

Same general time.
Same kind of energy.
Same sense of “this is our thing.”

It doesn’t have to be long.
It just has to be reliable.

2️⃣ Familiar Stories

Not new stories every time.
Favorite stories.

The ones they ask for again and again.

Those stories become emotional shortcuts.
When they hear them, they’re not just hearing words—they’re feeling you. Almost like a safety net.

3️⃣ Familiar Phrases

The way you say certain lines.
The parts you always emphasize.
The little reactions that are uniquely yours.

Children notice that more than we realize. I know for me the looks and inflections from my own grandmother are very strong memories even today.

4️⃣ A Consistent Ending Line (This Is Gold)

This is one of the simplest—and most overlooked—things.

Ending storytime the same way every time creates:

• Closure

• Safety

• A sense of completion

It becomes your signature.

Even when you’re not there, that ending lives on.

BACK TO THE PERSONAL STORY

That’s actually why some of the stories I’ve shared with my grandson—like The Three Billy Goats Gruff—became so meaningful.

Not because they were perfect the first time.
Not because he reacted right away.

I introduced them to him, but he needed Dad to tell him the stories.

With Dad the stories were repeated…quite frequently I understand.
And they have now become familiar and comforting.
The notes and pictures I included in his copies reinforce the connection between us even when I’m not there and he’s hearing the story from Dad.

So this time I came to visit, I was asked to read the stories..

And that’s when I realized:
I wasn’t competing with his storytime.
I was becoming part of it even from afar. And now I was allowed to participate.

Every child is different, and sometimes we just have to patient, while consistently making the connections happen in a predictable way.

CORE TRUTH + CLOSING

Here’s the heart of this:

Your grandchild doesn’t need you to be everything.
They just need you to be something steady and familiar.

That’s how you become their storytime grandparent.

If you’d like help creating a storytime routine that feels natural, meaningful, and truly yours, I created a free resource called the Storytime Shortcut.

It provides you with just a few quick, simple routines to help make storytime feel connected—even from far away. It’s an easy way to get started experimenting and finding what works for your grandchild.

You can find the link below.

And just remember:
You don’t have to be there every night to be deeply remembered. Just be there consistently in the small moments.

Here's the link to the free resource: https://tammykersey.com/shortcut-landing