February 10, 2010
If you are a grandparent seeking to find out what your rights are concerning your grandchildren when you start asking questions you may find that most people do not think that a grandparent has any rights if the parents object to visitation. The sad thing is that these people are correct for the most part. At this time there is no constitutional law in the United States that gives grandparents visitation rights. Fortunately, in some states and in some situations grandparents can win visitation and sometimes custody rights in a court. The problem with getting visitation rights if you are […]
February 10, 2010
Here we are just merrily skipping down the wonderful path of grandparenthood. Ain’ t life wonderful? We see and/or talk with our grandkids on an average of every 2 weeks according to AARP’s 2000 study on grandparents. We throw in a sleepover now and then, maybe a few days spent together while they are on summer vacation. I like to think of this as “Eating the icing on the cake of life as it should be”. These grandangels bring and leave behind heaping portions of joy and fun. As if that was not enough, this interaction allows us to contribute […]
February 3, 2010
Here is an opportunity to prove two true but cliché statements. One is “An ounce of prevention yields a pound of results” and “Luck is where preparedness meets opportunity”. When it comes to your grandchildren or someone close to you with grandchildren there are a couple of things you can and should do to be ready in case life happens in a way that you least expect. With the divorce rate approaching 50% the odds are that you or someone close to you will need to avail themselves of their Grandparents rights when it comes to visitation and/or custody of […]
January 22, 2010
We all fall into the conversation about our grandkids and how we looooove to spoil them. I happen to think it is one of our GRANDPARENTS RIGHTS to spoil our grandchildren, however we can choose three roads to that end. 1) We can give them anything they want and watch them turn green from eating too much candy, soft drinks and ice cream. 2) We can give them some decent if not healthy snacks and drinks and throw in a couple of piping hot Tollhouse cookies. (Excuse me for a minute, I need to make a quick trip to the […]
November 8, 2009
“The belief that youth is the happiest time of life is founded on a fallacy. The happiest person is the person who thinks the most interesting thoughts, and we grow happier as we grow older.” WILLIAM LYON PHELPS I just turned 65 last week and it has provided me with a reason to reflect. One of the neat things about grandparents is that we have an easy time finding Joy in our grandkids and happiness in watching our kids raise them. If you are someone who has trouble seeing the Joy that is created and experienced by these incredible, naturally […]
October 12, 2009
It all starts when that little bundle of joy wraps his or her tiny hand around Grandpa’s finger. Now they have you……forever. Don’t fight it, the struggle is useless, you are hooked. The journey has begun. This is to be a journey of discovery for the new grandparents and for the repeat grandparents, still a thrill all the same. After 6 grandchildren in the past 20 years I can attest that each time is breathtaking, awesome and wonderful. Aren’t you glad to hear the good news? Well, as you may have guessed there is a challenge in this process as […]
September 7, 2009
THE EXTRAORDINARY ORDINARY SAYS A LOT ABOUT GRANDPARENTS Every week or so I take the trip from Charlotte, NC to Asheville, NC to work on our internet businesses with my son, Chuck. Last week I stayed overnight so my 4 year old granddaughter, Ceili and I could take her Dad to breakfast for his birthday. I was sipping coffee in their dinning room when this beautiful sleepy angel came around the corner and curled up on my lap with Mr. Froggy in tow. Ain’t life wonderful? If I concluded this thought right here you would have the perfect picture of […]
August 31, 2009
With the approaching Grandparents Day (September 13th) and Robert Reich, Secretary of Labor under President Bill Clinton, becoming a new grandparent himself, there is a call for grandparents to march on Washington. According to the Huffington Post, Mr. Reich wants new grandparents such as himself to join with grandparents across this country and utilize Grandparents day to call on Congress to pass meaningful Health-Care reform. He advocates the administration backed “Public-Option”. Critics call this an inappropriate use of Grandparents Day. Grandparents.com says “It’s about time”. This is not just about seniors standing up for themselves, it is all about grandparents […]
August 25, 2009
GRANDPAERNTS RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES The contribution of Caring Grandparents cannot be over stated. It is our duty, whether you are a new grandparent or like myself on the verge of great grandparenthood, to raise Loving and Lovable children and help them to do the same. (Like the commercial says, “Wash, Rinse, Repeat”). I am convinced that this process passed down through the generations will have a much grearer effect on this world than all the goverment programs combined. The source of this power can be repeated and grown with each new grandchild. As the picture above shows, you can’t […]
August 20, 2009
YUCK! you say? I can’t blame you, however there are some important considerations about exercise since most of us can’t recall our last marathon, well maybe the new grandparents can, but I am just two months away from my 65th and I don’t choose to be a poster child for old folks running 26 miles. Mark Victor Hansen (Chicken Soup for the Soul Books Co-Author) tells the story of a 95 year old banquet waiter in one of the halls that Mark was going to speak in. He thought it would be good to include some local folks in his […]