neil

It would be fair for you to ask what Righteous Indignation has to do with Grandparents’ Rights and Responsibilities. Let me create a scenario that will illustrate how devastating it can be to your happiness as a Grandparent. Your son gets divorced after nine years of marriage. During those nine years, you spent much time with the Grandkids. You feel like you partially raised them since you cared for them when they were sick so their Mother could go to […]

In some of my conversations with my Grandkids, I have realized that some of my thinking may be based on outdated information (I was born in 1944). I listen intently to what my now teen Grandchildren think about what is going on in their lives. I will say that I have enough wisdom not to say things like, “When I was a kid we walked 5 miles to school in a blizzard and it was uphill all the way”. Fortunately, […]

I am getting more comfortable in this unique position afforded by being a Grandparent each year. It is like icing on a yummy cake of life. Like you all, I had paid my dues by scaring myself half to death when I was thrust into the role of a parent early in my marriage. We brought home this cute little bundle of Joy, and then we had to get down to the nitty-gritty of trying to keep this energizer bunny […]

I am 78 now and, fortunately, will see most of my Grandkids next week. I am aware but not worried that I have more life behind me than in front of me, but I am concerned with what I leave with my Grandchildren. At this time in life, I am blessed with the power of being perceived as older and wiser, and, without preaching, I have been trying to leave as much of those lived experiences with my Grandkids as possible. A […]

As Grandparents, we have unique powers to create an atmosphere to have long and happy relationships with our Grandchildren. Please note I said powers as opposed to Grandparents’ Rights. Let me suss that out a bit. While reading this, I ask you to do two things: Please don’t shoot the messenger; second, you will have to suspend Logic for this article. This is one of those cases where Logic and Law need to be fixed. As an emerging country, first […]

As Grandparents we have observed enough life to realize that we are most alive when we go outside ourselves. We seem to get the most Joy out of volunteering and the socialization of like minded people we encounter. Now I am not talking about giving up everything and joining some Monastery, or selling everything we have and donating the proceeds to the poor. I am talking about things like volunteering once a week at your local food bank, Baking something […]

Coming into the Christmas season we, as Grandparents, have the unique opportunity to make valuable impressions on these young minds that we call Grandkids. Please imagine that instead of another, whatever is popular this year that goes in the pile with all the other whatever is popular this year stuff, you do your research and find that one thing that will light up your grandchild’s life and spend some time with them enjoying this together. You should realize that this […]

I have been looking into this question for the best part of a decade, and the answer to this question is an emphatic Maybe. Let me explain. I think I can do this best by starting with a quote from Richard S. Victor, the founder of the national nonprofit Grandparents Rights Organization. “Remember, if death takes a grandparent from a grandchild, that is a tragedy, but if petty vindictiveness and hostilities within a family amputate a grandchild from their grandparents, […]

You may ask why this title. The answer is simple, there are few Grandparents’ Rights, and they are difficult to access if you need them. The two books and the 350+ articles I have written on this blog all point to the most pragmatic solution for your Grandkids. The secret sauce is; “At all costs just do everything, and I mean everything, to maintain a good relationship, especially with the mother of your Grands.” The thing is that the Constitution […]