Author: Ken Canfield, PhD

Have you seen the recent commercial featuring a grandfather and his “dream car”? Watch it here: Now, sharing this video is not an endorsement of this company other than to say I appreciate the powerful message for grandparents. But it raises some interesting ideas. Did you have dreams about what you wanted to do during your later years? Some people look forward to retiring or cutting back on working hours so they can travel more. Some think about moving to a warmer climate so they can relax and do things they enjoy. Some, like this grandfather, start planning for...

Here at Grandkids Matter, the tagline on our magazine and much of what we do is made up of four words that sum up our mission: “Connecting hearts, uniting generations.” Those words inspire me and remind me what I’m all about as a grandparent, and I suspect you share some of my perspective. So let me break it down a little bit: Connecting hearts is all about the magical and rewarding relationships we have with our grandchildren. It’s making regular investments in their lives, encouraging them, making them feel special, and enjoying them as much as we can. It’s...

For Valentine’s Day, have you enjoyed expressing your love to your grandkids with gifts and expressions of your love? Maybe you aren’t done, or maybe you still have plans … and that’s great. Soak it all in! While you’re doing that, I hope you realize that you’re probably doing something even more important that will help them in future relationships, simply through your modeling. Consider this statement from an adult woman: I learned from my grandparents that relationships require not just love, but also dedication, sacrifice, strength, devotion, and prayer. Married almost 67 years before passing, they taught me...