“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,…
DetailsI’ve often felt that there’s something wonderful about families that pepper their conversations with a special vocabulary all their own. Shared experiences create shared memories, often giving rise to a unique, intimate “family language.” Their telegraphic little buzzwords, sayings and mottos sometimes link several generations of treasured family lore. Here are a few that people…
DetailsPlease don’t tell my parents, but… I never asked my adult children or their spouses, “If your child asked me not to tell you something, what do you want me to say?” I did not ask because I would never agree to do that. I wouldn’t do it, because I wouldn’t want to jeopardize the…
Details(Stock photo by Matlachu on Pixaby) A PRICELESS SMILE I found the following essay in August 2003, while cleaning out my grandmother’s apartment in Florida after she passed away at the age of 93. I had attached a note saying: “Dear Grandma, I wrote this for my camp application in response to the question: “Who is your hero…
DetailsRegine Schlesinger‘s interview on WBBM Radio aired today. A grandma herself, Schlesinger talked to author Jerry Witkovsky about how grandparents can enter their grandhild’s world. Listen to the story here. Hear author Jerry Witkovsky talk about Grandparenting, how to find out more about what happens at your grandchild’s school. Learn more about the Grandparents Connection…
DetailsIf you are a new or first-time grandparent, you’re in good company. According to the 2011 MetLife Report on American Grandparents, one in four American adults is a grandparent; by the year 2020, that number will rise to one in three – or 65 million Americans. No doubt you’re thrilled to be called Grandma or…
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