Today as never before, grandparents are being called upon for extraordinary service as young families wrestle with forces that wreck relationships & leave innocent children in the rubble. As a grandparent, it can be an inestimable privilege to be that loving, stabilizing force in a grandchild's life, but it can also tear you apart. Irene M. Endicott shows how you can build a healthy, supportive relationship with your grandchildren. Although grandparenting has changed, one quality remains the same: your abiding love. Available at Christian bookstores or call 1-800-755-2456.

Today's grandparents are younger, more active and significantly involved in the lives of their grandchildren. Currently little exists to help grand-parents effectively navigate their changing roles--that is, until now. Godly Grandparenting is a comprehensive, practical resource in today's changing world. Gone are the days of sitting on the porch swing visiting with children and grandchildren. Roles have changed, responsibilities have shifted, and new territories for grandparents have emerged. This vital resource explores the many issues facing Christian grandparents today, including: - Legal issues: "What happens if ¿" - Grandparenting while still supporting your own children - Grandparenting in a divorce situation - Parenting your grandchildren The most complete and up-to-date book for today's Christian grandparents!

Parents influence. Grandparents leave a legacy. What will you be remembered for by your grandchildren? Teens today are stuffed with information, yet starving for wisdom. They act distant, but the truth is, they need you now more than ever. You have a place in their lives—your gray hair, your wisdom, your relationship, your involvement in their lives to help counter the contrary influence in today’s teen culture. They need you to touch their hearts, even if their behavior hurts your heart. Your life can transform their life and change the destiny of your family! Grandparenting Today’s Teens is a must read for every grandparent’s library. With wit and wisdom, Mark Gregston helps you better connect and engage with your grandchildren. For both young and old grandparents alike, chapter titles include: • Changing Gears When You’re Almost Out of Gas • Why Gray Hair Works to Your Benefit • Making Memories Before You Lose Yours • Losing Battles but Winning Wars • Don’t Save the Best for Last Remember, you can be the connection that offers hope.

This landmark resource investigates and documents current and predicted trends regarding the experiences of grandparents in the United States and abroad. Edited by two of the foremost scholars and educators on the health and wellbeing of grandparents raising their grandchildren, it reflects the enormous changes in the roles of grandparents during the last several decades and explores the historical and social context in which these changes have occurred. With contributions from internationally recognized scholars in family studies, gerontology, human development, psychology, social work, and sociology, this interdisciplinary resource examines the roles of grandparents from multiple perspectives including the cultural/historical, developmental, ecological, and cross cultural, as well as from a clinical/family systems perspective. It reflects the redefinition of the role of grandparents over the past 20 years, mirroring societal shifts in greater longevity and life expectancy, and a greater awareness that grandparenting cannot be viewed in a sociocultural vacuum. Scholars, clinicians, and educators of adult development and aging, will find a wealth of critical information in their fields of endeavor, as will policy makers and clinical practitioners. Print version of the book includes free, searchable, digital access to entire contents of the book! Key Features: Addresses new dimensions of grandparenting such as sexual orientation, health of grandparents, resilience and resourcefulness, step-grandparents, and great-grandparenting Delivers groundbreaking research on the health and wellbeing of grandparents caring for their grandchildren Covers decreasing health disparities, health care coverage, and stipends for grandparents who are not certified kinship providers Examines grief, clinical interventions, grandparent-grandchild and intergenerational relationships, divorce, and the prevalence of multigenerational households Discusses the expanding role of grandfathers, the impact of HIV-AIDS and drug addiction on grandparents, and the global nature of grandparenting Includes clinical case study approaches to helping grandparents

Families are undergoing dramatic changes in our society. Our tradi tional views are being challenged by new family arrangements. These new family arrangements are forcing redefinitions of what consti tutes a family and raising significant issues regarding the potential developmental consequences for children in these families, if such exist. Moreover, the ramifications of redefined families and their bear ing on children's development extend into the legal, political, and societal arenas. This book focuses on the relationships between di verse family arrangements and children's development, as well as on legal and social implications. Our interest in this area emanates from our experience in directing the Fullerton Longitudinal Study. In the course of this investigation, we observed families undergoing transformation, most commonly in maternal employment and marital status. Our initial research on the role of maternal employment in children's development provided the scientific foundation for our interest. Just as we feel that maternal employment and dual-earner families should be comprehensively re searched regarding their relationships to children's development, we also believe that other contemporary family arrangements should receive extensive attention in the developmental literature. Hence, the idea for this book emerged.

Three million kids have grandparents parenting them. Are you one of those grandparents? Are you in need of some help? Are you in a crisis with your teen that you're not sure anyone has an answer for? There are natural communication barriers between grandparents and their teenage grandkids: • new and old cultures collide and the relationship sometimes flies out the window • hurtful words stab at a grandparent trying to help • memories are missed and arguments explode in a family Both grandparents and grandkids face these triggers, but from opposite sides. And sometimes they result in teens getting into drugs, kids smoldering in unexpressed anger that deepens into depression, and kids even harming themselves. The teenagers want attention and relationships; grandparents want to help. Help is available from author and well-known family expert Mark Gregston who has worked in teenage and family ministries such as Young Life and his own program, Heartlight, for over forty years. For Gregston, it’s all about relationships. Teens need to find out why they think no one understands them. And they need help to guide them through this contradictory world. Grandparenting Teens is a valuable resource that helps grandparents love their teens and relate to them in genuine, honest, life-changing ways. This book gives practical tips on how to start grandparenting teens in a way that fosters connection. Mark teaches skills such as getting everyone to listen—really listen. As a grandparent, you can help your teen learn to paint their honest, big-picture perspective, so no one’s left out of their world. They will learn gratefulness instead of giving grief. They will recognize when their grandparent understands their troubles and becomes their role model for life when everyone else turns away. And both grandparents and teens will find their point of contact—their bond. Gregston’s stories will entertain you. They will teach you. They will move you. Some will even change your life. This book is a must for every grandparent who wants to continue to have an influence on the life of their teen grandchildren. In this ever-important role, grandparents can offer something to their grandkids that they can receive from no one else.

Chapter 10 Noncaregiving Grandparent Peers' Perceptions of Custodial Grandparents: Extent of Life Disruption, Needs for Social Support, and Needs for Social and Mental Health Services -- About the Authors -- Index