The energy level at Country Meadows of Wyomissing ramps up when the Eidle children arrive. Whether playing music, helping with games or reading out loud, they bring smiles with each visit.
Andrea Eidle has 14 children ranging in age from 11 months to twenty-something. Typically eight or nine of them accompany her to Country Meadows for visits every month. She doesn’t remember when they started the practice, but she guesses it’s been about 10 years since a friend who worked at Country Meadows invited the children to play the piano for residents.
The Eidle family joins residents to
celebrate Dr. Sauss Day.
Andrea Eidle has 14 children ranging in age from 11 months to twenty-something. Typically eight or nine of them accompany her to Country Meadows for visits every month. She doesn’t remember when they started the practice, but she guesses it’s been about 10 years since a friend who worked at Country Meadows invited the children to play the piano for residents.
“Our culture is so ‘me’ centered. It is good to see a different perspective on life by mixing with people of varied ages,” says Eidle. “I remind the children that the residents are artists and athletes and teachers and veterans with so much to share. It is important to see each resident as a person and try to give them the dignity they deserve.”
Because the Eidle family homeschools, they have flexibility to visit during the day. In recent years their visits have been structured around activities such as an afternoon of bowling, when the children reset the pins, retrieve the balls and compete with the residents. The children recently helped with a “Dr. Seuss Day” celebration by reading Dr. Seuss stories to the residents and playing a game with them based on “One Fish, Two Fish” before serving green eggs and ham as a snack.
Every member of the Eidle family makes residents smile!
“It is so nice to see the residents’ smiles,” says Kelly Sorrick, Community Life Director, “And you can feel the energy in the building when the children are here. The residents just love it. This has been a really nice contact and relationship for us that we have maintained all these years, and I credit Andrea for her dedication because it is very rare for them to cancel a visit.”
Because of the variety of ages and personalities among the Eidle children, there are many different ways they can interact. Several of the children enjoy sharing their musical talents, some like to talk to the friends they have made over the years or help with games. Even the baby participates with coos and smiles as he is passed from resident to resident.
The experience helps reinforce a saying Eidle frequently repeats to her children: Be understanding to those who are younger than you, remember you were there already. Have respect for those older than you for you will be there someday, too.
She believes that though they are considered the helpers because they are providing an activity for the day, she and her children receive so much more in return through the experience of interacting with people of a variety of ages.