So You Re Raising Your Grandkids

If you are a grandparent raising your grandchildren, help has arrived. According to the US Census Bureau, more than 10% of all grandparents in the nation are raising their grandkids, and the number is going up. You may be one of the millions of these grandparents and it's a role you never expected. Willing as you are to assume this role, you have some questions. How will I find the energy for this? Is my grandchild normal? What if I "blow it?" Each day, you look for ways to make life easier. This book will: •Help ease your worries and guilt; •Offer tips for creating a grandfamily; •Give methods for improving grandparent-grandchild communication; •Suggest ideas for how you can connect with your grandchild's school; •Provide child development information; •Recommend approaches to help your grandchild set goals; •Stress the importance of having fun together; •Offer ideas of how to foster your grandchild's hopes and dreams. So, You're Raising Your Grandkids blends Harriet Hodgson's wise and moving grandparenting story with recent research and findings. It shares her 21 years of caregiving experience, including seven years of raising her twin grandkids. Each chapter ends with What Works, proven tips for grandparents raising grandkids. At the end, you'll cheer for all the loving grandparents---including you---who are putting grandchildren first.

"According to the US Census Bureau, more than 10% of all American grandparents are raising their grandkids, and the number is increasing. Included in this book are topics such as: methods for improving grandparent-grandchild communication, ideas for how you can connect with your grandchild's school, the latest child development information, and more. Hodgson draws on her 21 years of caregiving experience, including seven years of raising her twin grandkids"--

It's time for school, and your child refuses to put on her clothes. You can sense her anxiety and the impending tantrum. This familiar scene can make parents feel powerless, unable to calm their child's fears or the resultant negative behavior. Dame Sue Bagshaw, MD, and psychologist Michael Hempseed are here to tell you: there is hope! Tantrums and anger are common behaviors, but instead of blaming poor parenting or too much screen time, Calming Your Child looks at the root causes, including anxiety, depression, and sensory issues, other psychological factors, explaining the research and helpful techniques in a simple, accessible way. Every child is different, so this guidebook provides a variety of methods to strengthen your bond with your child and combat behavior issues, all while gaining a better understanding of the way your child sees the world.

Becoming the grandmother of twins changed Harriet Hodgson and altered her life course. According to Hodgson, we live in a fast-paced, complex time, a time when too many grandchildren are victims of bullying, Internet scams, and sexual abuse. Hodgson believes that grandmothers are needed today more than any other time in history. "Grandmas can't be passive," she declares. "Every grandma has the power to protect and guide her grandchildren and needs to tap this power." This narrative weaves Hodgson's personal story with research findings. It's packed with ideas for helping grandchildren. Hodgson's age, child development degree, life experience, teaching experience, witness to history, and extensive research converge to make this an inspiring read. Working individually and together, grandmas are changing the world. "The Grandma Force is about the power of love and the power of one." Hodgson says. "One-by-one, grandmas are standing up for grandchildren and creating a hopeful future for them."

You are not alone if you are one of the staggering numbers of grandparents who are raising their grandchildren! Are you confused by the generational gaps, challenging communications, and tough questions like, “Why are my parents so old? Why is my father in jail? Why doesn’t my mother show up to visit when she promised?” The Sacred Work of Grandparents Raising Their Grandchildren is the first book that contains answers and stories to address these unique issues and challenges—from one grandparent to another. You’ll enjoy the practical suggestions on how grandchildren can manage and solve some of their own problems, while learning how to cope with your own distinctive life challenges. As a parenting grandparent, a kinship caregiver, a teacher, or a social service worker, you must read this book for invaluable insight. No other book takes on the complex challenges that parenting grandparents face with such depth and truth. How relieved and grateful you’ll be for the inspiration, knowledge and wisdom by the time you reach the conclusion! “Through the stories told by grandparents themselves, Elaine K. Williams reveals the challenges, commitment, and love experienced by grandparents raising their grandchildren. This book not only provides understanding and helpful information, but will also touch the hearts of all who read it.” —Sandy P., a grandparent who raised a grandchild “I’ve waited five years for this wonderful author, Elaine K. Williams, to complete her groundbreaking gathering of knowledge from three generations so that we can clearly see the patterns of grandparents who are raising their grandchildren. The most important points are to help grandparents understand the dynamics of the emotional and behavioral challenges their grandchildren face, and the impactful trauma that all generations experience. She brings the keys of caring, connection, and communication forward to assist families to heal. Highly recommended.” —Dr. Caron Goode, EdD, NCC, author of the award-winning book Raising Intuitive Children

Are you one of nearly 3 million grandparents across North America raising your grandchildren as part of a grandfamily? You may have done all this parenting stuff before, but times have changed since you raised your own kids, and you likely never thought you’d be raising kids again. What has led to all these family issues and the growing need for grandparents to step up? Now more than ever, substance use and addiction have made many birth parents simply unfit for the job, whether the problem is alcohol, opioids, or other drugs. Family dynamics might also be undermined by parents’ mental health or medical problems, incarceration, or a simple lack of preparedness for family responsibilities. Whatever the reason for your new role, you must now help your grandchildren adjust to their extended family as part of their everyday life, through the best care you are able to provide. While your new role means that you will likely have to change the way you live, the kinship care you provide your grandchildren might make all the difference in the world. In The Grandfamily Guidebook—which leading medical experts have called a “must-have” resource for grandparents raising grandchildren—authors Andrew Adesman, MD, and Christine Adamec offer expert medical advice, helpful insights gleaned from other grandparents, and data mined from the 2016 Adesman Grandfamily Study—the broadest and most diverse research study of its kind to date. You’ll also find hands-on tips you’ll be able to reference whenever you need them, including how to cope with difficult birth parents, school issues and social-life challenges, problem behaviors that stem from a difficult past, and your own self-care. Starting with its foreword by the renowned Dr. William Sears, across this book you will find practical, inspiring help as you navigate the financial impacts, legal considerations, and medical issues that commonly arise when grandparents and grandchildren start becoming a grandfamily.

This book discusses how struggles could turn into accomplishments. Obstacles and hurdles never stop individuals from moving forward in life. Theres growth and prosperity in every situation. Loving and forgiving increases an individuals success.

Grandparents raising their grandchildren are a new demographic emerging at a staggering rate because the parents are either unwilling or incapable of raising their own children. The rational for this work is derived from the challenges this author and his wife have because of parenting their grandchildren. The research for this project has the value to offer support, wisdom, hope, and perspective for those who are parenting again as grandparents. Opportunities abound to lead grandchildren in a direction where they never would have gone had grandparents resisted the selfless act of parenting again. This project will be approached using surveys with specific questions from other grandparents who are raising their grandchildren. The survey will assist in assembling the reasons behind this new and emerging trend of parenting. The resources gathered from this project will help grandparents embrace their new role in life.