Did you know that grandparents who babysit their grandchildren were found to live 37% longer? As grandparents ourselves, this stat is impressive, but not surprising! We’ve experienced firsthand how investing in the lives of our grandchildren brings so much joy and purpose. Taking on this role has truly been one of our greatest gifts during this season of life.
Even so, we know that the shift from “Mom and Dad” to “Grandpa and Grandma” takes some adjusting.
It might feel like you’ve just gotten used to the empty nest season, and now you have to adjust to a whole new shift in your family dynamic! You have to be intentional about spending quality time with each grandchild, learning how much help the parents need or even want, and knowing when to hold your two cents until they’re requested.
My guest for this important conversation has navigated all of this personally, and she’s here to share some words of wisdom. Lori Wildenberg is a licensed parent and family educator, author, and national speaker who is passionate about helping families build connections that last a lifetime and beyond. She has written seven family life books, including Grandparents Make Grand Partners. Lori is the grandma to soon-to-be six grandchildren.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
- The greatest challenges parents and grandparents encounter
- How to discover your unique style of grandparenting
- The most important thing you can do when interacting with your grandchildren
- And more!
Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Prefer to watch this episode? You can now view and subscribe to our YouTube.
- [BOOK] Grandparents Make Grand Partners
- What Every Parent Needs to Know with Lori Wildenberg | Episode 42
- Offering the Prodigal a Way Home with Lori Wildenberg | Episode 43
- When Adult Children Shut You Out with Sarah | Episode 180
- Connect with Lori on her website, Instagram, or Facebook
- As a thank you for listening, get your 3 free eBooks.
My Key Takeaways:
1) Look for unique ways to connect with your grandchildren. You won’t connect the same way with each grandchild. Pay attention to what each child is interested in, and look for ways to engage with their likes and dislikes. Discover what special interests or hobbies they have that you can support and help grow. It means the world to a child when an adult they love makes them feel seen, understood, and cherished. You’ll be amazed at how much a little bit of curiosity can do!
2) Always support the parents. There’s a temptation to give your grandchildren anything they desire. Late bedtime? You got it. Sugary snacks. Of course. Bend the rules? Just don’t tell your parents. The danger with these kinds of responses is that our grandchildren learn that sabotaging their parents’ authority is alright. Instead, we should seek to be a partner to the parents and support them first. We can quickly forget what it was like to be a new parent, but I’m sure we can agree that we wouldn’t have liked it if someone went against our instructions regarding our children.
3) Make clear requests. There can sometimes be a push and pull of battling desires when it comes to your relationship with your adult child and their spouse. One of the best things you can do to reduce friction is clearly state your desires and make it easy for them to say yes. Here’s what I mean: if you want to see your grandchildren more, why not ask if there’s a way you can lighten their load to do it? It could be offering to babysit for a date night, coming over once a week with a meal, or helping your grandchildren with their homework. How much better will your request be received if you show a genuine willingness to lighten their load and become a partner in their parenting?
About Lori:
Lori Wildenberg is a licensed parent and family educator, author, and national speaker who is passionate about helping families build connections that last a lifetime and beyond. She has written seven family life books, including Grandparents Make Grand Partners. Lori lives in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains with her husband, Tom, and is the grandma to soon-to-be six grandchildren.
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