grandparenting Deliberate, intentional grandparenting: how to make a difference BY LINDA AND RICHARD EYRE O K, the question is, are you ready to become intentional and deliberate about your grand- parenting? Are you committed enough to
for 40 years, and in Module A, we examine our pri- orities, our roles, the new opportunities and relation- ship changes that come in the “autumn” of our lives, and the tricky business of being effective grandpar- ents without stepping on the toes of our children the parents. For “homework” we explore and write personal Grandparenting Vision Statements. Also in this first module, we discuss long-distance grandpar- enting (when grandkids live far away) along with the importance of setting boundaries and finding a bal- ance between taking care of yourself and taking care of your family. Module B: Grandparenting Goals and Roles (by age). Being a good and effective grandparent of babies and toddlers is very different from being good with elementary age. And teens are some- thing else again. Homework includes a “needs analysis” of each grandchild and holding a “five- facet review” of each grandchild with our children and the parents. And we spend some time on the separate and individual perspectives of grandmas vs. grandpas—how the two roles differ and how they can work in synergy. Continued on next page
actually have a plan for what and how you want to teach your grandkids? Are you ready to, step-by- step, become the kind of grandparent that makes a difference—that improves the world for your grand- children (and creates real teamwork with your chil- dren to form an effective Three-generation family)? More and more grandparents are saying yes to these questions, and they are putting their effort and priorities where their mouth is! When we started the Zoom and online course Grandparenting101.com last year, over a thousand grandparents joined and will be participating in the class’s final module this month, and it is a rigorous course with a two-hour seminar each month and weekly emailed bulletins. Take a look at the follow- ing curriculum. Module A: The Higher Perspective, Priority, and Paradigm of More Effective Grandparenting. The first step in becoming better grandparents is not about changing our grandkids, but about changing ourselves. Many of us will be grandparents
17 GRANDP arenting
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