The Complete Grandparenting Resources Guide
Curated by Neil Taft
Finding reliable grandparenting advice shouldn’t be hard. We’ve gathered the best resources in one place – books, articles, trusted organizations, and practical tools – so you can spend less time searching and more time connecting with your grandchildren.
This page is curated by Neil Taft, author of four books on grandparenting and founder of Caring Grandparents. Neil has spent 40+ years advocating for youth and strengthening the bond between grandparents and grandchildren. Everything here has been selected with one goal in mind: helping you become the grandparent your grandchildren will always remember.
Bookmark this page. Share it with a fellow grandparent. Come back whenever you need guidance.
Essential Grandparenting Books
Neil Taft’s Books on Grandparenting
Neil has written four books covering every dimension of grandparenting – from building deep emotional bonds to navigating the legal system when access is threatened.
Caring Grandparents
Grandparents Caring ABOUT Grandchildren. Grandparents Caring FOR Grandchildren.
Neil’s newest and most comprehensive book addresses both sides of grandparenting – the emotional connection every grandparent wants, and the practical responsibilities many grandparents find themselves taking on. With over 2.5 million U.S. households now led by grandparents raising grandchildren, this book meets grandparents exactly where they are.
Best for: Grandparents seeking balance between deep involvement and respectful boundaries.
Good to Great Grandparenting
A Guide to Lasting Meaningful Connections with Your Grandchildren
Endorsed by Jack Canfield, bestselling author of Chicken Soup for the Soul, this book gives grandparents the “Respectful Connection Framework” – a proven approach to creating meaningful moments, repairing relationships after conflict, and building the kind of emotional safety where grandchildren confide in you.
“Neil Taft provides grandparents with the tools to create lasting legacies of love and connection. This book is essential reading for anyone committed to meaningful grandparenting.” – Jack Canfield
Best for: Grandparents who want to go from good to great – especially those separated by distance or navigating generational differences.
Your Grandparent Rights
How to Protect Your Relationship with Your Grandkids
Grandparents today have never taken on as much responsibility – and yet have never been so lacking in legal support. This groundbreaking guidebook provides comprehensive legal strategies, emotional support, and practical steps for grandparents fighting to maintain relationships with their grandchildren.
Best for: Grandparents experiencing estrangement, denied access, or navigating the family court system.
No Greater Loss
A Guidebook Through the Minefield of Grandparent Rights
“No Greater Loss works because it is a guidebook through a minefield of do’s and don’ts in the world of grandparent rights. It anchors itself in the cultural truth that a natural and necessary bond between grandparent and grandchild has been our birthright since the beginnings of time.” – JLG Review
Best for: Grandparents facing estrangement due to divorce, addiction, abuse, or other family crises.
Other Recommended Grandparenting Books
Neil believes in generosity of spirit. These books offer additional perspectives worth your time:
- The Grandest Love by Jerry Witkovsky – 25 years of research on the grandparent-grandchild relationship and how to make it thrive
- Becoming Grandma by Lesley Stahl – A journalist’s research-backed exploration of the grandmother experience today
- Nanaville by Anna Quindlen – Warm, honest, and wise – a beloved account of becoming a grandmother
- Being a Proactive Grandfather by Richard Eyre – The go-to guide for grandfathers committed to real, lasting relationships
- Unconditional Love by Jane Isay – Navigating the complex joys and challenges of grandparenting in the modern family
Expert Articles by Topic
Neil has written nearly 400 articles on grandparenting. Here are the best, organized by the challenges grandparents face most.
Building Bonds with Grandchildren
- How to Be a Better Grandparent: The Complete Guide – The most comprehensive guide on the site. Start here.
- Your Grandchildren’s Parents Are Your Bridge to Them
- A Grandfather’s Wisdom for a New Generation
Navigating Family Dynamics
- How Do I Respect My Adult Child’s Parenting Style When I Disagree?
- Discussing Finances with Adult Children
- Setting Financial Boundaries as a Grandparent
- Telling the Grandchildren (how to handle difficult family conversations)
Long-Distance Grandparenting
- How to Stay Close to Your Grandkids When You Live Far Apart
- Using Technology to Stay Connected Without Being Intrusive
- Making Every Visit Count When You Can’t Be There Every Day
Grandparenting in the Digital Age
- What Is Gentle Parenting – and Why Is My Grandkid’s Parent Doing It?
- How to Connect with Tech-Savvy Grandchildren
- Video Calls, Texting, and Social Media: A Grandparent’s Guide
Leaving a Lasting Legacy
- How Do I Deal with Guilt About Not Seeing My Grandkids Enough?
- What’s the Difference Between Being a Grandparent and a Parent?
- The Legacy You Leave: What Your Grandchildren Will Remember
Browse all articles on Caring Grandparents
Trusted Organizations
These are the most credible grandparenting organizations and resources on the web – vetted by Neil for quality and reliability.
For All Grandparents
- AARP Grandparenting Resources – The largest grandparenting resource hub in the U.S., covering bonding, caregiving, travel, and advocacy
- Zero to Three – Grand Connector – Research-backed resources specifically for grandparents caring for infants and toddlers
- Sesame Workshop for Grandparents – Age-appropriate activities and conversation guides for grandparents of young children
- HelpGuide – Grandparenting – Mental health-informed guidance on grandparenting relationships and family dynamics
- American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy – Find a licensed therapist specializing in intergenerational family issues
For Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
- Generations United – National advocacy organization for grandfamilies, with policy resources and local support networks
- Grandfamilies.org – State-by-state legal guides and resources for kinship caregivers
- AARP GrandFamilies Guide – Housing, legal, financial, and health resources for grandparents raising grandchildren
For Legal Guidance
- Grandparents’ Visitation Rights by State – AARP – State-by-state breakdown of grandparents’ legal rights
- Grandfamilies.org State Law Database – Detailed legal database for kinship caregivers
Grandparenting Tools and Activities
Conversation Starter Lists
Use these questions to spark meaningful conversations with grandchildren of any age:
For Young Grandchildren (Ages 4-8)
- What’s the best thing that happened at school this week?
- If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?
- What’s your favorite thing we do together?
- If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
- What do you want to be when you grow up?
For Tweens (Ages 9-13)
- What’s something you’re really good at that you want to get even better at?
- Is there anything you’re worried about that I can help with?
- What’s a rule at home you think is unfair, and why?
- What’s something you wish adults understood better?
- What’s the most important thing you’ve learned this year?
For Teenagers (Ages 14-18)
- What do you think the world will look like when you’re my age?
- Is there anything you’ve been thinking about that you’d like to talk through?
- What’s something you’re proud of that nobody really knows about?
- What’s one piece of advice you’d give to your younger self?
- What do you want your life to look like in 10 years?
Memory-Making Checklists
The Grandparent Legacy Checklist
Things to do with your grandchildren before they grow up:
- Cook a family recipe together from scratch
- Share the story of how you met your spouse
- Show them where you grew up (in person or through photos and stories)
- Teach them a skill you have – gardening, woodworking, sewing, cooking
- Write them a letter they can open when they’re older
- Record yourself answering their questions about your life
- Create a family history project together
- Start a tradition that belongs only to the two of you
- Tell them what you love most about them – out loud, clearly
- Show up at something that matters to them, even when it’s inconvenient
For Long-Distance Grandparents
- Schedule a standing video call (weekly or biweekly)
- Send a handwritten card or postcard every two weeks
- Mail a care package on their half-birthday (they won’t expect it)
- Read the same book and discuss it over video
- Cook the same simple recipe together over video call
- Start a shared journal that travels back and forth by mail
- Watch the same movie and call each other after
- Send voice messages instead of texts – they love hearing your voice
- Order a surprise delivery to their door on a random Tuesday
- Ask their parents to send you one photo per week
Family History Templates
Interview Questions to Preserve Your Story
Ask a family member to record you answering these:
- Where were you born, and what was your childhood home like?
- What were your parents like? What do you most want to remember about them?
- What was the hardest thing you ever went through, and how did you get through it?
- What are you most proud of in your life?
- What do you wish you had known at 20 that you know now?
- What do you most want your grandchildren to know about you?
- What values matter most to you, and where did they come from?
- What’s the best advice anyone ever gave you?
- What does family mean to you?
- What do you hope your grandchildren remember about you?
Neil Taft’s Best Advice
Forty years of grandparenting wisdom, distilled into the insights that matter most.
“Honor the parents of your grandchildren. That is the most effective way to build lasting family relationships.”
The mother is the gatekeeper to your grandchildren. Respecting her authority – even when you disagree – is not weakness. It is wisdom. Learn more in Caring Grandparents
“Life is complicated. Family life is a multiple of complicated. Extended family life is exponentially complicated.”
Understanding this truth frees you from expecting perfection – from yourself, from your adult children, and from the relationships you’re trying to build. Good to Great Grandparenting
“We will be grandparents for about twice as long as we were parents. To be the best we can be, there are many considerations.”
This isn’t a short season. It’s a calling. Invest in it accordingly. Good to Great Grandparenting
“The natural and necessary bond between grandparent and grandchild has been our birthright since the beginnings of time.”
When that bond is threatened – by distance, estrangement, or family conflict – it is worth fighting for. Your Grandparent Rights
“My WHY for all of this is to create lasting, meaningful connections between you and your grandchildren.”
Everything on this site, in these books, and in these resources exists for one reason: to help you and your grandchildren find each other – and stay found. Start with Neil’s books
Ready to Go Deeper?
The resources on this page will give you a strong foundation. But if you want personalized strategies, proven frameworks, and the wisdom that comes from 40 years of working with grandparents and families – Neil’s books are where to start.
Written from the heart, for grandparents who want to make a difference.
This resource page is maintained by Neil Taft and updated regularly. Last updated: February 2026.
Have a resource to suggest? Contact Neil.