Long-Distance Grandparenting: Connecting with Your Grandchildren from Afar

by Willma Willis Gore

Book Overview

In today's mobile society, effective and rewarding grandparenting is a challenge for everyone--for parents, grandparents, and grandkids. What's a grandparent to do? Enter ""Long-Distance... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1884956750
• ISBN13: 9781884956751
• Release Date: November 2007
• Publisher: Quill Driver Books
• Length: 112 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Long-distance Grandparenting, Connecting With Your Grandchildren from Afar

The wisdom in this book is so extensive, coming as it does from people with many and varied backgrounds and experiences, that it will be attractive and enlightening even for individuals who do not have grandchildren. The fundamental qualities which compose the subject are love, patience, thoughtfulness, generosity, careful planning and, above all, connectedness. Some of the situations between elders and their grandchildren which are so well described here can be applied in other human relationships such as teaching, resolving family grudges, and renewing and keeping old friendships. Primarily, though, this is a book for those grandparents who yearn for their grandchildren, but who cannot see them frequently because of the distances (both psychological and physical,) so common in today's complicated world. "Long-Distance Grandparenting", by Willma Willis Gore, should be recommended for purchase by such people, and kept as a staple in every public library. Ann Williams, Bakersfield, California

Grandparents Preserve Yesterday's Ties

Today's Grandparents Preserve Yesterday's Ties ... a New Book Tells Us How by Susan Stewart The American nuclear family, as defined by the iconic Leave It To Beaver and other television sitcoms during the 1950s and `60s is--more than half a century later--the exception rather than the rule. High rates of divorce, the emergence of "blended" families, single and same gender parenting, and a much more mobile society have all contributed to a dramatic redefinition of family. And the "extended" family as we once knew it--those eccentric aunts, feisty uncles, quirky cousins, and beloved grandparents who used to live nearby--has all but disappeared. Today's grandparents are traversing entirely new territory, both literally and figuratively. And the distances can be daunting. Long-Distance Grandparenting, Connecting with your Grandchildren from Afar offers a sturdy bridge for the many modern grandparents left wondering how they will adjust to this ever-shifting landscape. Award-winning author and grandmother for some twenty-five years, Willma Willis Gore has written a book that is entertaining, informative, practical, and poignant. "All grandparenting experiences are not created equal," writes Gore in the introduction. "Grandparents sometimes become rivals. Money can be scarce, time and transportation can be problems. Schedules conflict." So Gore interviewed dozens of grandparents, their children and grandchildren and infused every chapter with their stories, often quoting them directly. Ten well-titled chapters, anecdotes with headings, and a comprehensive resources section steer the reader easily toward the most helpful sections. How does one, for example, deal with the concept of "rules" when parents and grandparents differ? Chapter 2, titled "Rules for Grandparents, Parents, and Grandkids" offers sound, effective guidelines. What about the murky waters of giving advice? Try Chapter 4, "Risks and Rewards of Grandparent Advice." What happens when grandchildren move overseas? One anecdote is headed, "When the Split Takes the Grandchild Far Away." The practical importance of thank-yous, the reinvention of letter-writing, and the magic of the internet are explored. And a special chapter just for men offers often-neglected grandfathers unique methods for cultivating special ties beyond the usual fishing, fixing, and phoning. The author also addresses the less tangible aspects of long-distance grandparenting, such as understanding that perfection is an impractical goal, that change is the only constant, and that knowing when to say "no" is crucial to preserving honest, loving relationships Clashing grandparents, truculent teens, confusing messages, and sibling rivalry are all discussed, with practical, inventive, and thorough advice for each. Never preachy and far from sappy, Long-Distance Grandparenting is written with brevity, humor, and heart. Its inclusive approach does not judge or even opine; rather it illustrates the many faces of gra

Indispensable - Real Solutions

Long-Distance Grandparenting is as loaded with ideas for building relationships with far-off young ones as a farm-house table at Thanksgiving. It doesn't matter whether the children you seek to befriend are grandchildren or greats, nieces or nephews, bewildered toddlers or surly teens. It makes no difference whether you are related by blood or were drafted into the family some other way, whether the young people live down the block or, as is more often the case, halfway across the continent. You must make unflagging efforts to get into and stay in these kids' lives so you'll be there when they need you, or to impart a set of values they may not be getting at home, or to underscore values they have been presented, or to provide consistency in the midst of turmoil, or to create memories that will bring them joy later on, or simply because you love them and you must be involved. Long-distance love affairs are hard enough when both sides are trying. With kids and older folks, often the youth do little, if anything, to keep the relationship mutual. You need ideas--and lots of them--till you find one or more that works for each of the children you love. Gore's 85 pages are packed with experiences of how real people have engaged in the delicate dance of winning over younger ones without offending the parents. There--I hinted: there are warnings, something no guide to long-distance grandparenting could be complete without! The book can easily be browsed or read at one sitting. Or read and browsed again. Reread. The cover illustration of a tin can connected by telephone cord to a cellphone sums up the problem. The pages that follow illustrate many solutions.

The Ideal Primer For Long-Distance Grandparenting

This is the only self-help long-distance grandparenting book you'll ever need to read. Regretfully, "Over the river and through the woods to Grandma's house we go," no longer applies to most families in this day and age, but this book delves nicely into bridging the miles between grandparents and their grandchildren. It is the ideal primer for grandparents to stay in touch and be involved in their grandchildren's lives. Author, Willma Willis Gore's, Long-Distance Grandparenting -- Connecting with Your Grandchildren from Afar, is both an inspirational and motivational book that hones in precisely on how to cope with guilt ridden days and the longing so many grandparents experience from time to time. I've enjoyed and admired the author's other books, and she's done it again -- this one's a must read too!

Helpful to all Grandparents

Nowadays many of us find ourselves not living near to our grandkids. In order to keep in touch, Long Distance Grandparenting, has some delightful and innovative ideas to keep in touch with your grandkids and make sure they know who you really are for themselves--not just what their parents have told them. Author Willma Gore has done a great job of gathering diverse information into one easy to read and delightful book. Highly recommended for all grandparents.