Adventures in Grandparenting: Raising Your Grandchildren
By Sherril Steele-Carlin
Today, grandparents may face a number of problems and challenges that grandparents have rarely faced before. In today's world, more grandparents are finding themselves playing a much larger role in the lives of their grandchildren and they may also be providing much more support to their own adult children. According to census data, the number of children living in grandparent-headed households since 1970 has risen by more than 50 percent.
Questions to Ask
Take a moment to answer the following questions about your own family. Are you or someone you know raising a grandchild? Are you concerned about your relationship with your daughter- or son-in-law? Do your grandchildren live far away? Is discipline a problem with your grandchildren? If any of these questions strike a chord with you, then you probably should learn more about grandparenting, and what's happening today in the world of raising grandchildren.
Answers to Pressing Problems
Many grandparents are raising their grandchildren today because of broken families and other situations. Sometimes, raising grandchildren is as taxing physically as it is mentally. Most communities now have support groups for grandparents who are raising grandchildren. If you have questions, problems, or just need to blow off steam, these groups are a great place to start.
Also, many grandparents face long-distance relationships with their grandchildren. Enlisting the parents' help is essential in building close relationships in these long-distance situations. Many grandparents find the Internet to be invaluable for keeping in touch with their relatives.
Discipline Worries
If you are concerned about discipline, talk with your children and express your worries. It may be just the impetus they need to address the problem. If not, there are many groups that can teach you how to gently but firmly insist on proper discipline in your household. There are also ways to build strong relationships with your children's spouse. You may not agree with everything your children do when it comes to raising their children, but remember, times change, and so do parenting techniques.
You Can do It
You've raised one family, and now you're raising another. It's not easy, but the rewards are worth it. If you're raising your grandchild, you'll forge a strong and lasting bond, and learn to think a little bit younger than you might have. It may not be easy, but it is one of the best things you can do as you grow older.