Category: Grandparenting

Ring in the New Year with These 12 Tips for Establishing Healthier Family Media Habits in 2022

With another challenging year coming to a close, now is the perfect time for parents and children to come together, take stock of all the lessons they’ve learned, and share their goals for the future. Cutting down on screen time is a common resolution in modern households, but it’s one that’s easier said than done,… Continue reading Ring in the New Year with These 12 Tips for Establishing Healthier Family Media Habits in 2022

Grandparents Raising Their Children’s Children Get the Job Done

Millions of children are being raised solely by their grandparents, with numbers continuing to climb as the opioid crisis and other factors disrupt families. New research being presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) 2018 National Conference & Exhibition shows that caregivers who step up to raise their grandchildren are overcoming unique challenges to… Continue reading Grandparents Raising Their Children’s Children Get the Job Done

Instant Soups and Noodles Are Responsible for Burning Nearly 10,000 Children Each Year

Microwavable instant soup products cause at least two out of every 10 scald burns that send children to emergency departments each year, according to new research presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) 2018 National Conference & Exhibition. An abstract of the study, “Instant Soup Scald Injuries in Children,” was presented on Monday, November… Continue reading Instant Soups and Noodles Are Responsible for Burning Nearly 10,000 Children Each Year

Should You Cosign a Student Loan for Your Grandchild?

As a grandparent, you want to do everything you can to help your grandchild succeed. That’s the reason your grandchildren might turn to you for financial help when it comes to paying for college. If you don’t have the funds outright to contribute to their education, you could be asked to cosign a private student… Continue reading Should You Cosign a Student Loan for Your Grandchild?

Quality of Contact with Grandparents Is Key to Youths’ Views of Ageism

Ageism – stereotypes that lead to prejudice and discrimination against older people – occurs frequently in young adults and can be seen in children as young as three. A study conducted by researchers at the University of Liege in Belgium, and published in December 2017 in the journal Child Development. sought to identify the factors… Continue reading Quality of Contact with Grandparents Is Key to Youths’ Views of Ageism

Going to a Game with Your Grandchild

Want to spend time with your grandchild, but feeling a little unsure about finding an activity that will be fun for both of you? Sporting events—from basketball and baseball games to football and hockey—are a fantastic way to bond with your grandchildren. The fun and festive food, friendly mascots, and sheer excitement are huge draws… Continue reading Going to a Game with Your Grandchild

How to Help Your Grandchildren Financially

Many grandparents want to help their grandchildren—and even future grandchildren—financially. But this can be challenging because so many issues of fairness can arise. If you have multiple grandchildren of varying ages and have been giving each of these grandchildren gifts of varying sizes since birth, the amounts may not be equal. The process of balancing… Continue reading How to Help Your Grandchildren Financially

Use of Cognitive Abilities to Care for Grandkids May Have Driven the Evolution of Menopause

Instead of having more children, a grandmother may pass on her genes more successfully by using her cognitive abilities to directly or indirectly aid her existing children and grandchildren. Such an advantage could have driven the evolution of menopause in humans, according to research published in July 2017 in PLOS Computational Biology. A release from… Continue reading Use of Cognitive Abilities to Care for Grandkids May Have Driven the Evolution of Menopause

Medication Safety: Advice for New Parents – and Grandparents!

If your family has recently welcomed the addition of a precious newborn, make sure you know how to administer medications safely should the need arise. Grandparent alert: Don’t rely on your memory of bringing up your own brood! Advice may have changed. Your health care provider can be a great resource. A good time to… Continue reading Medication Safety: Advice for New Parents – and Grandparents!

Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Need to Learn Current Health Advice or Risk Endangering the Kids.

If you are a grandparent raising grandchildren, you deserve a lot f credit. Even so, be certain you’re up on current health advice about childrearing. A lot has changed since you were bringing up your own children. Many grandparents raising their grandchildren practice outdated health and parenting myths that could potentially pose serious risks to… Continue reading Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Need to Learn Current Health Advice or Risk Endangering the Kids.

Delaying Middle School & High School Start Times Is Beneficial to Students

An position statement from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) published in the April 15th issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine asserts that the school day should begin at 8:30 a.m. or later for middle school and high school students. A release from AASM reports that data show that later start times… Continue reading Delaying Middle School & High School Start Times Is Beneficial to Students

6 Reasons To Stop Feeding Your Kids and Grandkids “Kid Food”

According to the National Institutes of Health, on any given day one-third of children and 41 percent of teens eat from a fast-food restaurant. They also report that the restaurant meals often served to kids contain too many calories. The typical “kid food” being offered tends to usually include chicken nuggets, fries, macaroni and cheese,… Continue reading 6 Reasons To Stop Feeding Your Kids and Grandkids “Kid Food”

E-Cigarettes Are Expanding Tobacco Product Use Among Youth

Parent and grandparent alert! E-cigarettes, thought by some to be responsible for a decline in youth cigarette smoking, are actually attracting a new population of adolescents who might not otherwise have smoked tobacco products. That is the finding of a University of Californina, San Francisco study published online January 23, 2017 in Pediatrics as well… Continue reading E-Cigarettes Are Expanding Tobacco Product Use Among Youth

How To Talk To Your Grandchildren About Hearing Loss

You love your grandchildren — their smiles, the way they look like their parents did when they were young, and their exuberance — but sometimes, they are very hard to hear. Children have a way of swallowing their words, or slurring them together, and typically have softer and higher pitched voices. That is, when they… Continue reading How To Talk To Your Grandchildren About Hearing Loss

Program Helps Teens “Get the Message” About Distracted Driving

Parent and grandparent alert! A program to educate teens about distracted driving–including a tour of a hospital trauma center and testimony from a trauma survivor–can increase awareness of the dangers of texting, cell phone use, and other distractions while driving. The study, done by Ruth Adeola, RN, MS, and colleagues of R. Adams Cowley Shock… Continue reading Program Helps Teens “Get the Message” About Distracted Driving

“Baby Simulator” Programs Meant to Discourage Teen Pregnancies May Backfire

$Parent and grandparent alert! Teenage pregnancy prevention programs used in schools in 89 countries, including the USA, involving “baby simulator” robotic dolls appear to encourage rather than discourage girls to become pregnant. Boys, the potential fathers, are not involved in the prevention programs. Also, many parents, grandparents, and teachers have observed that the girls become… Continue reading “Baby Simulator” Programs Meant to Discourage Teen Pregnancies May Backfire

Indoor Trampoline Park Injuries Are an Emerging Public Health Concern

Parent and grandparent alert! Indoor trampoline park injuries are an “emerging public health concern,” warn Australian doctors in the August 2016 issue of the journal Injury Prevention. A release from the publisher notes that the warning comes in the wake of a study showing that in the space of six months, 40 children needed medical… Continue reading Indoor Trampoline Park Injuries Are an Emerging Public Health Concern