neil

Over the past ten years, I have written two books and 300+ articles about Grandparents’ Rights, but now I am transitioning to voicing the other half of that equation. We must also approach the Grandparents’ Responsibilities. Chief among these responsibilities, weighted very significantly, is; To stay abreast of and support what the parents are imparting to the young minds of your Grandkids. It is tough to let go of the reins of being the parent of your Grandkids parent. I […]

Several years ago, I was asked to participate in a surprise Christmas scheme for my Grandkids. When my son called and asked for my help, I answered, “The answer is Yes; what is the question.” The story begins a couple of months earlier. Their family had adopted; no, it was more like a stray dog hanging around the house they had just bought. The new dog was named Lucia. The grandchildren may have spoiled and fed her just a bit. […]

As I wrote about last week, we have the reins regarding how we execute our Grandparents’ Rights and Responsibilities. One of the most significant challenges is to adjust to the age-appropriate interaction with each Grandchild. It is different with the very young, the middle young, the tweens, and the teens. When my granddaughters were around ten, they were regular ole Chatty Cathy’s. Not so much with my grandson at that age. I can assure you it isn’t easy. Let me […]

The way I created this Caring Grandparents site is a great story. My grown son, Chuck, and I had a fair amount of success creating an eCommerce site with Recycling Bins many years ago. My motivation was to do whatever I could to be able to work with my son. Please don’t tell him; I don’t want him to get the Big Head. Just kidding, he is a fine young man. After that success, I called him one day and […]

Many Grandparents invite their Grandkids to tag along with them as they Volunteer at their various organizations and causes. This is a good thing, for sure. How much more powerful is it if we listen to what they are interested in regarding volunteering? I have shared that my teen Granddaughter has shown an interest in horses and has worked with a program that utilizes horses as a vehicle for rehabilitation and therapy for Veterans, First Responders, Previously Incarcerated Folks, and […]

This is officially a tough one for Grandparents, but it may be a way to help our Grandkids to understand how much they are Loved. Please read this article enough to understand that my first and foremost interest is the best outcome for our Grandchildren. I have written many articles on this blog about child’s best interests and how that gets lost in some of the Grandparents’ Rights issues. This may be a vehicle to communicate our Grands’ confusing messages […]

As I age I have migrated away from helping my friends and family move from place to place. My evolution has taken on the flavor of writing more and doing less (not a bad idea at 77). When I couple this with the mission of this blog and it’s 350 articles I am motivated to make the best of this time. One of the writing approaches I have worked hard on is to lean into the “Socratic Method” and move […]

I must admit that reading with my Grandkids gets more complicated the older they get. If you are fortunate enough to have young and rambunctious grandkids, you may choose a book like “THE LITTLE GREEN BOAT” by award-winning writer Chris Stead or, staying with the nautical theme, possibly “A BIG BLUE BOAT” by Susea Spray. If, as is my case, your youngest grandchildren are teens and older, you have a more significant challenge. I no longer read TO my grandkids; […]

Living near the beach I get the guilty pleasure of friends coming down here for a vacation and I don’t have to drive that far. Sometimes when I am talking with my, now teen, grandkids I mention that Grandpa Neil has an ocean. Within a few months, they magically show up at my door. Funny how that works. My friend of over a half-century comes with his bride each year to visit for a couple of weeks. We always get […]