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....
3 days ago • 1 min read
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...
10 days ago • 1 min read
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...
14 days ago • 1 min read
"And at the end of the day, your feet should be dirty, your hair messy and your eyes sparkling."~Shanti 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! Making Summer Memories Get ready to soak up the season and create meaningful moments with your grandkids. Make summer...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Dear Reader, I don’t know about you, but when I was a new mom, I had three basic sources of parenting advice: our family doctor, a couple of books, and my mother. That’s where I turned when I wasn’t sure when to start solids, or whether I should worry about the baby’s fever. Thanks to the internet and social media, your grandchild’s parents have 24/7 access to up-to-date information on how to tackle every parenting choice. Whether it’s advice about breastfeeding, sleeping, discipline,...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
You can do anything with children if only you play with them. ~Otto von Bismarck 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 Grandparents offer far more than babysitting and cookies. Read how these relationships create lasting benefits for...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Hello, Reader! My Instagram DMs are full of pleas from parents who need help handling a specific situation with their child’s grandparents. The other day, I got this one: “Any tips for a nana who when I discuss feeding with her says “you don’t want a fat baby” over and over. Baby is 7 weeks old. I can’t be the only one with a mom who is hyper focused on weight and attaches value to it right? I don’t want her commenting on my daughter’s weight the way she does mine (still does, likes to pat my...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
When investing in grandchildren, spend half as much money and twice as much time. ~Unknown 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 If you are overwhelmed by the number of photos you have in boxes and on your phone, check out the Planning...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Dear Reader, If you follow More Than Grand on Facebook or Instagram, you may have seen the photos I shared last weekend from the trip to Europe that Pops and I took with friends. We had one amazing day after another, and confirmed that I truly love traveling. It was definitely worth all the work I did before we left to schedule all my emails, blogs and social media posts: I was truly able to step away from the computer—I left my laptop at home! But I didn’t step away from grandparenting...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Dear Reader, Shortly before my first grandchild was born, I went to a funeral for a man I had only known professionally. He was a retired Episcopal priest, so his service was filled with pageantry and solemn ceremony. Despite all the splendor of the rituals, the memorable moment was when three of his teenaged grandchildren got up to speak about him. One talked about Grandpa picking her up from middle school every day, and how on Wednesdays they’d go to 7-11 and she’d get a dollar to pick out...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read