Helping your children keep a bond with distant grandparents

Key rules

• Weekly slot: A fixed weekly time for a call or story time keeps the habit going.
• Call length: Keep calls short and active for young children, and move to messages and games as they become teenagers.
• Longer stays: Two to four weeks of everyday life together builds a deeper bond than a short, busy visit.
• Flying alone: Airline rules on age, fees and routes differ, so check before booking.

Airline age limits, fees and route rules, and the paperwork a destination or airline asks for, vary, so confirm them with the airline before booking.

Start with a regular slot

Pick one fixed time each week for a call or story time. Children and grandparents both settle into a habit faster than into ad hoc calls. Younger children do best when you sit with them and support the call.

Match the call to your child's age

• Babies and toddlers (0 to 3): Keep calls very short, 5 to 10 minutes. You hold the device. Songs, peekaboo, and showing toys or pets work well.
• Ages 3 to 6: Aim for 10 to 20 minutes built around one activity: a story, a puppet, a drawing or a simple game.
• Ages 7 to 11: Give the call a purpose. Try homework, show-and-tell, a shared online game, cooking together, or reading a chapter book in turns.
• Teenagers: Expect mostly messages, voice notes, photos and games. Keep longer calls for events like birthdays or holidays.

Build shared rituals

Small things repeated over time matter more than big gestures:

• A regular postcard or parcel in the post.
• One book that both sides read, then talk about.
• Birthday and holiday traditions that stay the same each year.
• A scrapbook where your child collects things about their grandparents.

Plan longer stays

A stay of two to four weeks, with one-to-one time, builds a deeper bond than a short visit packed with events. The best stays include everyday routines: cooking, school pick-ups and ordinary outings. Grandparents can also come to you in Spain for a few weeks. Older children can sometimes spend part of the summer alone with their grandparents. Distance, cost and school holidays will shape what is realistic for your family.

If your child travels without you

Most airlines run an unaccompanied minor service. It is usually compulsory from about age 5 up to 11 or 12, and optional up to about 14 to 17, depending on the airline. Children under 5 cannot normally fly alone.

• You book it in advance and pay a fee. Staff escort your child.
• You hand your child over at departure. A named adult must collect them on arrival and show ID.
• Airlines often allow it only on direct flights.
• Low-cost airlines often limit or refuse it. Ryanair, for example, does not carry unaccompanied children under 16.

Check the age limits, fee and route rules with the airline before you book.

For paperwork, your child needs their own valid passport or national ID, plus a signed parental authorisation. Within the Schengen area, residents of Spain often need only ID, but airlines or border staff may still ask for the form. If your parents are separated, both consents may be needed. The documents list below has the details, and the checklist and questions below cover the rest.

Documents you need

• Your child's own valid passport, or national ID: the DNI for Spanish nationals, or the ID card for EU citizens.

• Signed parental authorisation, using the standard police form (autorización de viaje para menores). Parents sign it and have it certified at a police station, a notary or a Guardia Civil post.

• A copy of the signing parent's ID or passport, attached to the authorisation form.

• A visa for the destination and proof of residence in Spain, if your child is a non-EU citizen.

Checklist

• Fix a regular weekly slot for a call or story time with the grandparents.

• Keep calls with babies and toddlers to 5 to 10 minutes, with you holding the device.

• Build calls for ages 3 to 6 around a story, puppet, drawing or game, and keep them to 10 to 20 minutes.

• Use games, homework, show-and-tell, cooking or shared chapter books for children aged 7 to 11.

• Switch to messages, voice notes, photos and games for teenagers, with longer calls around events.

• Start a shared ritual, such as a postcard or parcel, a book read on both sides, or a scrapbook of the grandparents.

• Plan a longer one-to-one stay of two to four weeks, with everyday routines like cooking and school pick-ups.

• Ask the airline about its unaccompanied minor service, fee and age limits before booking a solo flight.

• Name the adult who will collect your child at arrival, and make sure they carry ID.

• Get the signed and certified travel authorisation form, with a copy of your ID, before your child travels without you.

Frequently asked questions

Can my child fly alone to see their grandparents?

Yes, most airlines let children fly alone with an unaccompanied minor service, but children under 5 cannot normally do it. The service is usually compulsory from about age 5 to 11 or 12 and optional up to about 14 to 17. It is booked in advance and carries a fee.

Which airlines refuse unaccompanied children?

Low-cost airlines often limit or refuse unaccompanied children; Ryanair, for example, does not carry unaccompanied children under 16. Many airlines also restrict the service to direct flights, so check the route before you book.

Who hands over and collects a child on an unaccompanied flight?

A parent or guardian must hand the child over at departure, and a named adult must collect them at arrival with ID. Airline staff escort the child in between.