Ken Canfield, PhD, Author at GrandkidsMatter

2 Tips for Sharing Your Heritage with Your Grandkids

Posted by Ken Canfield, PhD | Jul 12, 2019 | Grandchildren, Healthy Relationships | 0 |

Sharing our heritage is a great part of being a grandparent. What is your heritage? That’s a big question and it can be different for different people, but mainly I’m referring to memories, stories, and sometimes mementos that link us to the past and help to shape a family’s identity. Often, values and beliefs are a big part of that heritage. And a key idea from my book, The HEART of Grandparenting is that we should be purposeful about sharing our heritage with our grandchildren. How and when can we do this? It could happen around holidays, as part...

Give Your Perspective on Independence

Posted by Ken Canfield, PhD | Jul 1, 2019 | Grandchildren | 0 |

Do you think the next generations need to appreciate the privilege they have of living in a free country? I certainly do, and I admire how intentional my friend Ron is about this. Even before he became a grandparent, he involved his entire family in fundraisers for hospitalized Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). He would take his children to spend time with veterans. In addition to appreciating those men and women, Ron wanted his children to hear their stories, ask them questions, and get their perspective on the true value of freedom that Americans enjoy, and why sometimes it’s...

3 Ways to Pray with and for your Grandkids

Posted by Ken Canfield, PhD | Jun 27, 2019 | Ask the Experts, Grandchildren | 0 |

Do you talk about your prayer life with your grandkids? I think it’s a great idea. I’m not suggesting you tell them everything, but sharing some of your prayer life will help shape your grandchildren’s spiritual journey. And those can be some of the richest and most rewarding moments you experience as a grandparent. Whether the prayers are written ones, prayers during holidays, at special events, or over the phone when your grands live far away, your prayers can bridge the distance and leave an inheritance more valuable than silver or gold. Beyond that, here are three suggestions that...

The Comforting Presence of Grandparents

Posted by Ken Canfield, PhD | Jun 20, 2019 | Ask the Experts, GrandDaughters, GrandSons | 0 |

Maybe you are blessed to know this from your growing-up years, but a grandparent’s stable, consistent presence is a great source of comfort for our grandchildren. Rob and Mindy are grandparents. Their young-adult daughter Emma became pregnant before being married, and when the baby arrived, she moved back home to have some help. Rob and Mindy pitched in as much as they could while Emma found a job and tried to be fully responsible for her new son. Emma also continued the relationship with her son’s father, who came over to see Emma and the baby several times a...

Ideas for Celebrating (GRAND) Father’s Day

Posted by Ken Canfield, PhD | Jun 14, 2019 | Grandchildren, Healthy Relationships | 0 |

With Father’s Day this weekend, I would be remiss if I didn’t recognize and honor all the granddads who mean so much to their children and grandchildren. Recent figures from the U.S. Census Bureau tell us that, of the 72 million fathers in America, 29 million (more than 40 percent) are also grandfathers. That’s a significant number! Just under half of all fathers being honored this weekend are also grandfathers, and yet the role of grandfathering seems largely ignored in all the Father’s Day advertising and promotion. And maybe that’s OK with us seasoned dads. We have had our...