How Children aged 9-11 years old can communicate with their grandparents

This opinion paper outlines how children aged between nine and eleven years old, can communicate with their grandparents through visual arts and, especially, images. The project was implemented in Cyprus, and the participants were six prepubescent children with grandfathers that suffered from dementia. This study aims to illuminate three aspects. Firstly, to emphasize on the role that fairytales play in human psychology, secondly, to indicate the way through which storytelling can affect human relationships and lastly, to define storytelling as a method of psychoanalysis. Three criteria were considered for the choice of the young participants: a) prepubescent age, b) all participants were related to grandfathers with dementia and c) all participants appeared concerned whether their demented relatives would be able to recognize them. Prepubescent participants used a number of painting materials in order to depict what they had previously experienced in their daily moments with their demented relatives. Later, a discussion took place about the specific experienced moments that, eventually, led - with the support of a coordinator - to the writing of a fairytale consisting of the formentioned stories previously narrated by all the young participants. In this operation all paintings and images were included. By the end of the particular operation, children seemed to acknowledge that the method used helped them to realise and understand that dementia is not so much a personal matter, but that it also affects social and family environment as well. They also claimed to have recognised the importance of visual arts interaction as it is a way of endorsing the ability of personal expression and creativity. Concluding, all young participants appeared in agreement with the fact that the procedure of communication with their demented relatives through visual art was quite constructive as it provided a strong means of communing in a more effective way the feelings between grandchildren and their grandparents.