Author: Ken Canfield, PhD

“You’ll catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.” “Many hands make light work.” “Nothing good ever happens after midnight.” “Pretty is as pretty does.” “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.” “Take time to smell the roses.” “Trouble shared is a trouble halved.” Did you ever hear your grandparents say any of these? Or maybe your parents? Every family seems to have a collection of much-used sayings. My wife Dee and I undoubtedly made our children sick of a certain adage or two through the years. Some would consider statements these mere clichés, but if you drill down...

When I think about my role as a grandparent, there’s a word picture I keep coming back to: My grandchildren are missionaries that my wife Dee and I will send to a world we may never see. That could become true literally if they are called to reach and help people in some faraway place. But it’s true for all our grandkids in some sense. Thinking about it another way, our world is in great need of leadership. Are your grandchildren future leaders? I hope you view them that way, even if right now they’re spitting up on their...

Grandparents, if you’re reading a blog on grandparenting then you probably don’t need to hear this, but I want to put it out there anyway, in case you’ve forgotten: There are very good reasons for you to be involved in the lives of your grandkids. Although we can find examples where the grandparent-grandchild relationship does not bring about positive outcomes, in the vast majority of cases, if a grandchild has an engaged, caring, and supportive grandparent, it’s a win-win. When you observe grandmothers and grandfathers interacting with their grandchildren—listening, learning, and growing in love and respect for one another—it’s...