The Essential Grandparent: A Guide to Making a Difference

by Lillian Carson

Ready or not, you're a grandparent! How did you get here so fast? No one consults you about this new role. It is handed to you without your advice or consent. So now that you're here at this new stage of life, the question before you is, what are you going to make of it? This book will help you find your answer and assist you in developing a plan for your grandparenting. It will dispel the myths and "tell it like it is." You'll learn that other grandparents feel just as you do. It will guide you to become aware of the possibilities, encourage you to trust your intuition, and teach you how to set goals so that you can make the most of this essential role. Just as babies don't come with instructions for parents, they certainly don't come with instructions for grandparents! The joys of grandparenting are available to all. It's healthy for us, the older generation, to nurture the young. It is our natural task to influence the future in this way. There are no requirements for a grandparent to be of a certain color, educational level, lifestyle or economic class. However, just loving our children and grandchildren is not enough. The joy comes from our ingenuity, energy and determination to provide stability and purpose. It is ours for the doing.

246 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1997

Reviews

[Dorothy Young · Rating 3 out of 5]

My daughter gave me this book so I could prepare to become a grandmother for the first time. The book was quite interesting. My favourite quote from the book is on page 57: "Grandchildren graze, like the deer, on the long grey hairs of their grandparents that is their wisdom.Tautancho, Native American, Chumash Nation"
If you are about to become a grandparent, this book will give you some very good tips!

[Susan Springer · Rating 3 out of 5]

A more philosophical approach rather than practical ideas. Very good at helping you
determine your legacy and how to implement it.

[Mary Taitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Has some useful info, slightly tedious.

[Amanda Roa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well worth reading.