Sometimes being a grandparent presents tough challenges. Perhaps you live a distance from your grandchildren. Perhaps you have issues of behavior and discipline with your grandchildren. Perhaps your grandchildren have been affected by a divorce. In such situations, it is helpful to know what your rights are and what strategies you can use to cope.
Children and divorce--it's a sad combination, but if the children are your grandchildren, it's even more heartbreaking. Your actions in this situation can affect your relationships with your child and your grandchildren. It's vital that you think through your actions before you carry them out.
Grandparents dealing with divorce of a child need all the help they can get, especially if there are grandchildren involved. If you’ve been on the receiving end of such news, you’ve probably experienced these five emotions, as you go through the stages of dealing with divorce.
Each week, Guides across the About.com Parenting Channel participate in "Thrifty Thursday," which is a series of blog posts written on the theme of saving money. Here, you'll find all of the Thrifty Thursday blog posts written specifically for Grandparents:
Readers tell us their worst grandparenting experiences, about times they were scared or angry or overwhelmed. Our grandchildren may think we're perfect, but we know better.
Grandparenting isn't always fun and games. Grandparent issues ranging from lack of time to access to grandchildren can complicate relationships with children and grandchildren.
One of the most frustrating aspects of growing older is the loss of brain fitness. The maxim, "Use it or lose it," applies to the brain as well as to the body. These ideas to improve your brain fitness will improve your quality of life and make you a better grandparent. After all, your mind needs to be sharp to keep up with those grandchildren.
School is cool, no matter your age. That's the idea behind lifelong learning. Besides increasing mental and physical fitness and adding enjoyment to life, lifelong learning can make you a better grandparent by offering new ways to connect with your grandchildren. Lifetime learning or continuing education classes are offered at many universities, community colleges and community centers and can be…
Senior exercise options can improve health, increase energy, add to stamina and combat depression. Besides, exercise is one of the most powerful anti-aging tools we have. Besides choosing an
appropriate exercise option, grandparents should follow these six suggestions to reap the most benefit from an …
If you are wiped out after spending the day with your grandchildren, perhaps you need to explore some senior fitness strategies. These seven disciplines are perfect for giving you more energy and stamina, so you can chase that toddler and play catch with a Little Leaguer. Here are some senior fitness exercises that I've found beneficial, along with a couple that I plan to try. I hope you enjoy th…
Special needs grandchildren present special challenges but also offer rich rewards. Share your experiences grandparenting your special needs grandchild.
Perhaps you have a pet that doesn't get along with your grandchildren. Perhaps you don't care for your grandchildren's pets. Allergies to dogs and cats can also cause conflicts. Do you have dog problems, cat problems or other pet problems? We have solutions, or at least suggestions.
Readers tell us how they have solved family conflicts over pets. Pet problems can be ticklish, but it's important that families work them out. Insights from readers can help.
Preparing for a grandparent’s death can be almost as difficult as actually experiencing the death. Some strategies that are frequently used for children coping with a death can also be helpful in preparing for a death, with the added bonus that the grandparent may be able to draw comfort from these activities as well.
A grandparent’s death may be a child's first encounter with death. Children dealing with death need the support of understanding adults. A grandparent can help a child understand the death of one of his or her other grandparents.
Are you a GAP or a GRG? The phenomenon of grandparents raising grandchildren has become so commonplace that it has spawned a couple of acronyms: grandparents as parents (GAPs) and grandparents raising grandchildren (GRGs). It is not a new phenomenon, but it may be growing. Death, divorce, drug problems, incarceration and other issues may precipitate the transfer of the grandchildren from parents …
If you are a grandparent raising grandchildren, you may be feeling stressed and overworked. It may be hard to find time to do research, but you'll feel less stressed if you have a firm grasp of the issues involved. Although individual circumstances vary widely and laws differ from state to state, becoming as well informed as possible will equip you to cope with your individual circumstances.
Brenda Della Casa is a columnist and author who specializes in writing about interpersonal relationships. She is also something of a rarity: a female raised almost exclusively by her grandfather.
Some children are clearly special needs children from their birth; sometimes their condition was known before birth. Other conditions, such as Attention Deficit Disorder, only manifest themselves as the child becomes older. In both cases, grandparents face the challenge of coming to terms with the fact that their loved and longed-for grandchild has special needs. As soon as possible, grandparents need to move on to accepting and dealing with their grandchild’s special needs.
Grandparents find themselves in a sticky situation when they disagree with how their grandchildren are being disciplined. Sometimes the discipline is clearly inappropriate, and the grandparents must intervene with their adult children. At other times they must wait until their opinion is solicited before offering advice.
Carrie Craft, Guide to Adoption and Foster Care, has written several articles about grandparenting foster children and adopted children.
Grandparents may find it difficult to communicate with adult children, especially about their grandchildren. These seven hints may make it easier.
