How grandparents can help grandkids build social skills

/
How grandparents can help grandkids build social skills

While adults may joke about needing to relearn how to be around others in a post-pandemic world, children can also benefit from a refresh of certain soft skills — especially young children who may not remember pre-pandemic life.

Building on these skills can also help children prepare for a successful return to school.

Read More

Family-friendly ideas for summer fun with grandchildren

/
Family-friendly ideas for summer fun with grandchildren

Warm, sunny days are the perfect setting for making family memories, but they’re also ideal opportunities to encourage grandkids to get creative and let their imaginations soar.

These ideas for summertime activities encourage family interaction, and the more kids get to help plan and organize the details, the more engaged you can expect them to be.

Read More

Old-fashioned fun: 4 summertime games to teach grandkids

/
Old-fashioned fun: 4 summertime games to teach grandkids

Considering the Covid confinement of the past, well, let’s just say too long, there’s never been a better summer to relish outdoor recreation time with the grandkids. Why not seize the opportunity to share some old-fashioned fun with the youngsters by way of teaching them a few classic games of our youth.

Read More

7 tips for gardening with grandkids

/
7 tips for gardening with grandkids

There’s something invigorating about getting one’s hands dirty then appreciating what comes (or might come) from the earth. For kids especially, gardening can be an ideal way to counteract the electronic and artificial stimulation bombarding them on a daily basis.

Here are seven tips to ensure your grandchild’s curiosity with the natural world grows right along with the goodies you plant together.

Read More

30 'firsts' only grandparents celebrate

/
30 'firsts' only grandparents celebrate

There are numerous firsts in a child's life worth celebrating. The milestones Mom and Dad mark, though, likely aren’t the same ones Grandma and Grandpa celebrate.

Here are 30 firsts in the life of a grandchild that warm a grandparent's heart and warrant a happy dance.

Read More

Stroll with a goal: 8 ideas for walks with grandkids

/
Stroll with a goal: 8 ideas for walks with grandkids

Spring has sprung! So put on your walking shoes, gather up a grandkiddo or two, and hit the road—or sidewalk, as the case may be—for one of these springtime strolls with a goal.

Read More

Take me to church: Small steps toward normalcy plus baby Robert’s baptism

/
Take me to church: Small steps toward normalcy plus baby Robert’s baptism

Jim and I have attended Holy Cross Lutheran Church for about 35 years. Not every single Sunday during that time but certainly more often than not.

That all changed in March of 2020. For exactly one year we didn’t walk through the doors of church one single Sunday. Or any other day, including my pre-Covid monthly volunteer shift in the food pantry.

Thanks to Covid—and my immunocompromised status thanks to my MS medication—our church attendance was restricted to …

Read More

How to Be Present: a 'First-Time Grandmother's Journal' excerpt

/
How to Be Present: a 'First-Time Grandmother's Journal' excerpt

In my book, The First-Time Grandmother’s Journal, I offer writing prompts to help new grandmothers dig deep then capture their thoughts on matters that matter in the months leading up to a first grandchild’s birth and the child’s first year.

I also provide bits of advice to help new grandmas navigate their new role—advice even seasoned grandmas can appreciate and apply—such as the following two-page spread on being present.

Read More