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September brings us Grandparents Day. Recently, I read some thoughts from, "Grandparents with Love and Logic," by Foster W Klein and Jim Fay. These thoughts are worth sharing about grandparenting in today's world.
"Today, grandparents tend to move toward the 21st Century with images of grandparents past: silver haired, slow talking, slow moving people biding their time in wooden rocking chairs on the front porch, contemplating the sunset through wire rimmed spectacles. They smile crinkly smiles and take out their teeth at night. Grandmothers crochet booties and make cookies while grandfathers whittle wooden treasures with jack knives. Their grandchildren walk over from across town, sit on the porch with them, admire the carving and munch on the cookies."
Each of us carries variations of their picture created in our own childhood. As we set zoom feature on our cameras to grandparenting present, we realize with shock how much the picture has changed. We travel around the world instead of crochet, or play golf instead of whittle. Some become grandparents long before they are ready for rocking chairs. Many of the grandchildren live half a continent away or wear strange, baggy clothes and radical color combinations and pierce their ears.
94% of older adults with children in the US have grandchildren. Half of these are great grandparents. Of the 54 million grandparents in the US, 26% are younger than age 55 only 38% are in their retirement years, over 65. The average grandparents has three or four grandchildren. Grandparents are living longer. From 1940 to 1980 the life expectation for a 40 year old woman increased by seven years, and the life expectancy of a 40 year old man by four years. What do these numbers mean? Grandparents are more important than ever. More adults than ever are living long enough to get to know their grandchildren and for their grandchildren to get to know them. The increase in longevity is giving their relationships the potential to become stronger and longer lasting. Children close to at least one grandparent are more emotionally secure than those without such a tie. Grandparents can provide this emotional security by listening, truly, listening to their grandchildren, refusing to compete in the acquisition of material possessions, giving their most valuable gift: time.
More heart to heart thoughts: Parents need to understand that the grandparent's role is sacred to the child, and they should do whatever they can to enhance that relationship. Kornhaber. Grandparents can do more for us than anyone else in the world. They sprinkle stardust in our eyes. Alex Haley. Happy Grandparents Day!
Warm Thoughts from the Little Home on the Prairie Over a Cup of Tea, written by Dr. Luetta G Werner
Published in the Marion Record September 10th, 1998.
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Till next time,
Trina
