We did not have support or family close by, I deeply regretted this, doing it all our selves has been really hard, and our kids don't know their grandparents, aunts uncles cousins. It's sad really.
It is never too late to get started on building relationships with grandparents, even if your kids are now a little older. My wife and I have resolved to devote a month of vacation every year to making sure that our kids get to see their grandparents for an extended period of time.
The time spent doing this not only builds inter-generational ties but also seems to build up our parents' health: we have found that they perk up and snap out of old age haze when their grandchildren are around. In the long run, this can only be a good thing.
I hear you man. We're in Qatar, and one set of grandparents is in LA, and the other is in Bangladesh.
I am fortunate in that I can take time off to meet our grandparent obligations, but damn it would be easier (and CHEAPER) if everyone was in one place!
The time spent doing this not only builds inter-generational ties but also seems to build up our parents' health: we have found that they perk up and snap out of old age haze when their grandchildren are around. In the long run, this can only be a good thing.