GRAND Magazine - May/June 2019 - 23

Grandparenting
Let's look deeper at each of those:
Be a ringmaster for grandkids under the age of
eight
In a classic old circus, the ringmaster was out
there having a good time and drawing us all into
that good time. He appreciated every act and led
the applause. He introduced us to the joy!
With young grandkids, just show them a good time.
Take them places, show them things, spoil them a
little (but always in concert and communication with
their parents). Enjoy them and let them enjoy you! Be
their ringmasters in the circus of their young lives.
Be a buddy for the ones between eight and 15
Kids have a lot of friends, but during these years,
they need a special kind of buddy-one who knows
them, one who loves them unconditionally, one who
has always believed in them, one who is always there
for them, one whom they can trust and confide in,
and to whom they can and will tell anything they
want.
Also, with these "middle aged" kids, moving into
adolescence, you've got to be tech savvy and online.
And email won't cut it! Just be, electronically, whatever and wherever they are. And as they evolve from
Facebook and Twitter to Instagram or Pinterest or
23 GRAND

MAY JUNE 2019

relationship of trust in which they will ask for your
advice, or at least listen to it. Explain to them that a
consultant is not a manager or someone who
tells you what to do or pushes you
around. A consultant is someone
with a lot of experience who can
help you with your goals and help
you get what you want and become what
you want to be.
Champion them! Be their champion!
It's the best thing you can do for them, and
the happiest thing you can do for yourself!

Snapchat or Whatsapp, or whatever comes next, try to
evolve with them.
Be a consultant to those 16 and up
Often when kids get to this age, their
parents still treat them as kids-
and they need someone to treat
them as adults. They need someone
who wants to know their opinions
and who respects those opinions.
With these upper teens, establish a

Richard and Linda Eyre's parenting and lifebalance books have reached millions and been translated
into a dozen languages. As fellow Baby Boomers, their passion and
their writing focus has now shifted to the joy of Grandparenting.
Linda's latest book is Grandmothering, Richard's is Being a
Proactive grandfather, and their latest co-authored book is Life
in Full. All three of these are now on sale on Amazon.

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GRAND Magazine - May/June 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of GRAND Magazine - May/June 2019