8 reasons grandparents should not resist a rest

/
8 reasons grandparents should not resist a rest

Once you're old enough to be a grandparent, a good night's sleep is hard to come by. Chalk it up to hormones, hot flashes, medications, and more. Considering the causes can be exhausting in itself.

Despite our continual quest to quench our desire for downtime, we grandparents often flat-out refuse to rest our weary heads when we're with our grandchildren. Whether it's because we feel guilty or we simply want to "get stuff done," resisting a rest can be detrimental to our health and happiness. Detrimental to the health and happiness of our grandchildren, too—especially when they're in our care.

Here's why:

sleeping woman and dog 

NOT GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP...

Read More

Here and now: April 23, 2015

/

My life, here and now...

here and now 

On my mind...

Calming thoughts and uplifting songs that will (I hope) keep me calm and far from freakout mode when I undergo another MRI on my brain this morning. I swear, the more MRIs I...

Read More

Saturday movie review: Cake

/

Five minutes into CAKE, I asked my husband, who was watching along with me, if watching it was going to give him nightmares. Jim chuckled and said, "I was wondering the same thing." 

We had the exchange not because CAKE is a scary movie and my husband is a chicken, but because CAKE is about chronic pain and my husband has suffered from such for more than a decade. He managed to watch it all the way through, though, with nary a nightmare that night.

Cake movie

CAKE, starring Jennifer Aniston in a dark, powerful role, is about...

Read More

National Family Caregivers Month: Kudos and resources for those who care

/

 This sponsored public service announcement on National Family Caregivers Month is in partnership with Midlife Boulevard.

National Family Caregivers Month

The Grandma's Briefs community is filled with compassionate souls who regularly care for loved ones in need, above and beyond the care and love they provide their immediate family. Just off the top of my head...

Read More

One happy grandma

/

It's been a tough several weeks leading up to yesterday's big day, my "first dose observation" day. When it was all uneventfully done and over, I was so very thankful — for the outcome as well as for the incredible support from all of you, from my friends, from my family.

And I was happy. So very happy. Once home, all I wanted...

Read More

A brief prayer request

/

dear readers

I've been conflicted for weeks about sharing this — TMI isn't usually my thing — but today feel I must. Today I'm swallowing a pill that could stop my heart, so I'm writing to ask for your prayers, positive thoughts, healing vibes or any sort of goodness you could send my way.

My MS has gotten ridiculously aggressive and...

Read More

Tough call: Sick mom or sick child?

/

 sick pumpkin

Let's be honest here: Raise your hand if you ever, as the parent of a young child, looked at your dear one and thought (perhaps even said aloud), "Oh, I'd give anything for it to be me rather than my baby."

Have you thought that? Said that? Go ahead...

Read More