As a parent and grandparent, I’m big on open communication in our family and extended family. With our adult children and their spouses, it’s so easy for misunderstandings to creep in, which can then lead to confusion, hurt feelings, bitterness, and worse. And most of us know that any amount of discord can get in the way of our opportunities and effectiveness as grandparents.
I encourage a proactive approach…
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“Grandparents … so easy to operate, even a child can do it.” Is that true for you? For me, this highlights two aspects of grandparenting that we should celebrate and make the most of
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How do you affirm your grandkids? Do you have a special and unique saying or action that you use to encourage them and let them know they’re special to you? That’s one of the best things about many grandparent/grandchild connections: so often, it’s so easy to express love and excitement for each other without reservation or worrying about whether something you’ve said or done is being taken the wrong way—like often happens with adult relationships. With Valentine’s Day just two weeks away, it’s time to start thinking and planning for how to show love to your grandkids—to “spoil” them...
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We just got done with Christmas, but any store that sells greeting cards or candy moves on to the next holiday, because there’s always one just around the corner. That might make you feel overwhelmed by the commercialism that’s everywhere in today’s world, but this time it’s Valentine’s Day, which is a great holiday for grandparents and grandchildren. Compared to Christmas, expectations are lower. No one is making up gift lists, so there’s much less pressure to buy our grandkids just the right item. Whatever we do to bless them and celebrate our love for them will be greatly...
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Is there anything better than giving gifts to our grandkids? It might be one of the best things about the holiday season. As grandparents, there needs to be a balance between the joy of showering them with gifts and not going too far, where our gifts begin to push them toward materialism or become a burden for their parents. We want them to feel special and loved, but not entitled or self-absorbed. Here are three suggestions for meaningful gifts you can give them this year, which could be instead of or in addition to other gifts on their wish...
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