Author Jerry Witkovsky has been heading across the country, from Chicago to Manhattan and Phoenix, and to LA this January, talking to grandparents about how to unleash their creativity to enter their grandchild’s world and transform their family’s dynamic. Here is a preview captured at Jerry’s most recent program, last fall in Phoenix with the…
DetailsDoes it always seem like the current generation has it harder than the one before? “Life seemed more simple when I was growing up,” says one grandmother. “Probably the worst thing was chewing gum or a spitball.” Yes, I remember that rhyme about the difference between a child chewing gum and a cow chewing cud…”I see it now. It’s…
DetailsAccording to AARP more than 2.5M grandparents are taking on the responsibility for parenting their children’s children. Often born out of necessity….an adult child is unable to care for their children because of substance abuse, or the death of a parent leaves a child in need of care. It may be a child facing foster…
DetailsBy Guest Blogger, Deanna Shoss, What do father- and mother-in-laws have to say about the daughter-in-law relationship? “In most cases the mother-in-law has to bite her tongue.” “I don’t want to offend her.” “Usually it’s the female who runs the roost.” In an effort to understand the Grandparenting Phenomenon (Over 100M people in the…
DetailsWhen I speak to groups of grandparents, they often ask me “what will my legacy be?” In 3 Generations on Grandparenting, grandparents share their heartfelt wishes, and grandchildren share what they have learned from grandchildren. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvwIaCM5tyQ] Grandparents leaving values, not just valuables. For me, I always say “don’t die until you’re dead!” Along those…
Details“Computers, history, how to hang free” are among things grandparents say they’ve learned from their grandchildren. And grandchildren, now young adults, cited “perseverance, to be giving, to go after my dreams” as valuable lessons learned from Grandma and Grandpa. A teaching and learning culture is one in which knowledge and experience are shared in all directions, from…
DetailsI was the firstborn of parents who grew up around the corner from each other in the Clason Point section of the Bronx – an Irish-Catholic neighborhood that teemed with children and with aunts, uncles and cousins. Mom’s parents had eight children. By the time I came along in 1947, I was their 20th grandchild…
DetailsPhoto credit Teennick A friend’s daughter, Jennifer, found there were some topics that were perfect for the larger extended family, but also felt a need to better connect with her husband and two sons. Between work, business travel, school, and other activities, they often did not even have time to eat dinner together, let along…
DetailsBy Jerry Witkovsky, author of The Grandest Love Striving to become more connected as a family doesn’t mean that everyone is obliged to see things the same way. For example, not all of my family members see a deliberate commitment to Teaching-and-Learning as being central to our family’s synergy. Says my daughter Ellen, herself a…
DetailsFor the last 25 years, The Grandest Love has been the focus of my life and work: researching and lecturing about grandparenting issues, facilitating support groups, and developing community-based programs that allow intergenerational bonds to flourish. Along the way I’ve listened intently to hundreds of people’s stories – grandparents’ stories brimming with that special love,…
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