NEW GRANDPARENTS (This Changes Everything.) Part 1: How We React. Like a spectacular Sunrise, becoming a New Grandparent is the beginning of a new day, a new chapter in your life, and an entirely new role in your family. I clearly remember that my experience was that of a brand-new kind of Love all wrapped up in Joy and Awe. What I find remarkable is that this repeats itself with each new grandchild. Then again, with each Great Grandchild, and now with my first Great-Great Grandchild. This is the kind of miracle that never gets old. One wise Grandparent was heard to say, “There will never ..read more

        Neil Taft & Good To Great Grandparenting Neil Taft Published Author Great-Great Grandpa NEIL has survived almost 80 years, still in good health and with abundant loving and lovable children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and now a great-great-grandchild. All of this fills him with so much Gratitude that he wants to share that and his considerable experience with other Grandparents. He awakes each morning brimming with energy and enthusiasm. He feels it is his job to spread that energy and enthusiasm with everyone he meets everywhere he goes. My Reas ..read more

Some Grandparenting Insights from Grandpa Neil My Grandchildren, My Little Miracles As Grandparents, we are at our highest and best selves when we are acting on our gift and doing all we can to be a meaningful influence on and a stable force for our Grandchildren. With the earned wisdom of our years, we will realize that if we just try to let Grandparenting happen as many of our Grandparents did, the outcome may be okay, but I, for one, am not willing to settle for just okay when it comes to all these little miracles that I call my Grandchildren. There are definitely things we can ..read more

That Familial Love The power of parents and Grandparents operating in unison in the best interest of the Grandchild cannot be overstated. This is Familial Love in action. This synergy adds value to the all-important secure attachment that allows children to grow and thrive. It is not an exaggeration to tout the advantage of a unified effort to offer our little Loves the absolute best chances to develop and grow to their own potential bathed in a sense of feeling Loved. A Thoughtfulness Mindset For the best possible outcome in the family setting this may require that the Grandparents ref ..read more

A Sad Statistic 2.7 Million Grandparents One sad statistic is that about one-third of the 2.7 million Grandparent households that are raising their Grandkids are below the poverty line, which is less than $25,000.00 annually for a family of three. These statistics touch all racial and ethnic lines. Just like the drug addiction issue, this is an equal misery crisis for these folks and their Grandchildren, both economically and emotionally. The sad thing is that most times when Grandparents become parents again, it is for more than one Grandchild. For those in the bottom one third economic ..read more

Staying Connected To Your Grandchildren There are forces within and outside of your control Photo by Eduardo Braga | https://www.pexels.com/ Depending on so many variables of your extended family, this may seem like an easy task. You Love your Grandchildren and they know it. This may be an easy task in a fantasy world but in the 21st century, not so much. There are forces within and outside of your control. I suggest that you will do well to consider the direction given in Luke 12:34 and 35 in the New American Bible (Revised Edition); 34 For where your treasure is, there also will be you ..read more

(By mistake and on purpose) Alienated Grandparents There's nothing written in the Bible, Old or New Testament, that says, 'If you believe in Me, you ain't going to have no troubles. Ray Charles Alienation from your Grandchildren is an extreme but very possible outcome of The Elephant(s) in the Room scenario. There are many ways that this sad but sometimes preventable outcome happens to well-meaning, Loving, and Caring Grandparents. The reality is that some parents get incarcerated, become incapacitated, or even die. There is always the possibility of drug addiction, alcohol addiction ..read more

THE UNIMAGINABLE-Grandchild Abuse and/or Neglect (This includes Bullying) I would rather have not been tasked with writing this chapter but it is definitely way too important to skip. The #1 concern of Grandparents, hands down, is the Safety and Health of their Grandchildren. That coupled with the unique position of Grandparents in the family structure makes this subject not only germain to this book but it is a way to make this world a better place for all children, especially our own Grandchildren. If you do all you can to create a meaningful lasting relationship with your Grandchil ..read more

The Elephant(s) In The Room Success is due to our stretching to the challenges of life. Failure comes when we shrink from them. John C. Maxwell In way too many families there is a branch of the family that is not functioning as hoped. By the nature of the beast, it is not a subject that is talked about openly. I will urge you to at least be aware of what is transpiring in your family. The reality is that it is also transpiring in many extended families. Keep an eye out for the signs of these issues visiting upon your family in the event you can help support those involved and possibly a ..read more

Paying Attention To Social Media One of the most significant contributions we can make to our grandchildren is to pay close attention to them and what is going on in their lives. If you are on Social Media with them, it offers the additional benefit of paying attention to what is coming their way. The next best thing is to observe what is going on with the platforms they frequently use. The most popular are TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, and, for some, Facebook. The essential contribution is to watch out for anything nefarious on their feeds. As we have just witnessed in Congres ..read more