Dear Reader, If you were like me and spent most of the past weekend unplugged, you may have missed an important news story. The US Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, released an advisory on the critical need to improve parental mental health & well-being. Titled Parents Under Pressure, the report “highlights the stressors that impact the mental health and well-being of parents and caregivers, the critical link between parental mental health and children's long-term well-being, and the urgent need to better support parents, caregivers, and families.” Parents are exhausted, stressed beyond belief, and lonely. They need our help. While it’s incredibly validating to have something I’ve been saying for years confirmed by an authority, it’s also disheartening to read how bad things are for so many parents. Yesterday, I published a blog post sharing the information in the advisory. It’s information that is pertinent for everyone who knows a parent, and I hope you will read it. In the post, I also share concrete things that we can all do to help all parents. We need to think beyond our own families when we consider how to help. Parents who are struggling don’t just impact their own families. Their children may never reach their full potential. They may not contribute fully at work. They don’t have time or energy to participate in their communities. In other words, when parents aren’t thriving, our whole society suffers. Since More Than Grand started, I’ve worked to help grandparents understand how hard much harder parenting is today, and how crucially parents need our support. Clearly, there is so much work yet to do. Will you answer the call to help? Warm regards, P.S. After you read the blog post, I encourage you to share it. Send it to a friend, or share it on Facebook. This is a message that needs to be spread far and wide. Thanks for reading! If you found this valuable, please forward it to a friend! DeeDee Moore | Founder, More Than Grand LLC | morethangrand.com |
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Hello, Reader! It’s quiet right now at my house. Actually, it’s quiet in my house every morning. I almost always wake up before Pops, and I start the day with just the birds and an occasional passing car. It’s such a peaceful part of the day: drinking my tea, watching the swallows darting over the lake, playing all the NY Times word games. It’s a different kind of quiet this morning: the quiet of anticipation. Our daughters started arriving on Sunday, so there are sleeping people upstairs....
Dear Reader, Get ready for a sobering statistic: Up to 20% of new moms struggle with postpartum depression or anxiety. This means one in five mothers of our grandchildren is grappling with mental health issues. At the same time as adjusting to the demands of becoming a parent! Becoming a parent is a hard enough transition as it is, without the added stress of a postpartum mood or anxiety disorder. Grandparents are perfectly positioned to help: We have the experience and perspective to spot...
Clearly, a grandparent lacks a well-defined job description. But isn’t that the beauty of it? ~ Marianne Waggoner Day Each Saturday, we send you a roundup of articles and resources that will help you be a better grandparent. We may receive a commission for purchases made through affiliate links in this email. This is an easy and much appreciated way for you to support More Than Grand! Growing as a Grandparent A quarter of a million children a year end up in emergency rooms for toy-related...