Not long ago I ran across some information about a rally for these grandparents and I wanted to share it with you.

National GrandRally

Gather with us on September 15^th at 1:00 p.m. at the U. S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., as grandparents and other relative caregivers from across the country take part in the 4^th National GrandRally.   The GrandRally is a powerful way to gain lawmakers’ attention and to focus on the importance of relative caregivers—the challenges they face and the contributions they make.   In the midst of scarce resources and a tumultuous economy, relative caregivers keep children safe and in stable homes.  The GrandRally will be an historic opportunity to celebrate, create momentum, expand awareness and build upon the success from previous GrandRallies.  For more information, visit www.grandrally.org email grandrally.yvonne2011@yahoo.com or speak with GrandRally staff at 215-844-4744.

If I Had My Way….

I would load up a van full of Kentucky and Tennessee grandparents who are raising their grandchildren (I live in Kentucky but near the Tennessee border) and take them all to Washington.  We’d take our time going and coming back. We’d stop and eat at a Cracker Barell or two and we’d show each other pictures of our grandchildren and tell stories about how smart, pretty/handsome they all are.

Since I can’t afford to do that I will settle for telling you about it, praying that grandparents who want to go can find a way to, and most of all that their voices are heard and that they receive the financial and emotional support they need to do their job well.

God bless grandparents raising grandchildren!

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According to the article I read, experts who follow the situation point to struggles with drug and alcohol addiction as among the reasons grandparents are stepping up to replace absentee parents.

That’s a lot of folks whose life plans have been altered and a lot of children who have to adjust to life without a mom or dad in the picture.

In many cases, grandparents who once thought they were done with parental duties are finding themselves changing diapers.

The 2010 census found that 22,874 children under age 3 are living with grandparents. (Makes me tired just to think about it!)

On the other end of the spectrum, 20,392 children between ages 12 and 17 are being cared for by grandparents.

Kentucky isn’t the only state where this is happening. Many of my NanaHood visitors are grandparents raising their grandchildren.

Some of them are struggling financially. Some are fighting for custody. Some are physically exhausted.

I wish I had a magic wand and I could wave it around and make the world right for these children and grandparents. Unfortunately the world we live in is so far from perfect the best I can do is to make your stories known. Share them with me and I’ll share them with my readers, my government representatives and any media outlet who will listen. Make your needs ( and your grandchildren’s needs) known!

Remember the squeaky wheel? In this tough economy grandparent’s raising grandchildren need to squeak louder!

Email me your stories at teresa@nanahood.com  All names will be changed or not published according to your wishes.

Blessings to you for what you do! You are making a difference in your grandchildrens lives!

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First meet John….

My wife and I are raising three grandsons (and their father) along with 3 dogs, all under a not-so-large New Hampshire roof. After getting full custody a year ago, he couldn’t afford to raise them in anything but abject poverty so we had them all permanently move in here. Not that we could afford it, either. We cashed our retirement savings and built bedrooms in our cellar, put off retiring or having a vacation until we’re dead, and became one big messy multigenerational family. I work at home as a novelist and flutemaker/sculptor and have the closest relationship with the boys. That makes me primary caregiver and chief bottle washer. My wife is a canine behavior specialist at a regional animal shelter and our son sells shoes. Together we try and keep the lid on 3 wild and lovable boys.

Website: http://www.johnlunn.com

Blog: http:// grampyslittleacre.blogspot.com

You Know You’re Reparenting When…

As a grandfather I saw the kids most weeks all their lives and indulged them when I did. That’s the beauty part of taking them for a day and then going home. Your time is their time until you return to the sanity of your quiet life. For those of us who’s bubble got burst and the kids descended for keeps and you’re not sure if they’ll ever leave, here are some clues to help figure that out:

- The Yahtzee dice cup is full of milk at the dinner table.

- You haven’t seen the news on TV in weeks and know the name of the squirrel on Spongebob (Come on…you know who she is.).

- You can’t believe you’re arguing with a nine year old about staying up an extra 5 minutes.

- You start feeling guilty about spending money only on yourself.

- You’ve started a project in your “workshop”, that special getaway room in the cellar that you hadn’t seen the previous god knows how many years.

- That indistinguishable mass of faces you saw when picking your grandkids up at school are getting so familiar you’re starting saying hi.

- You realize while eating a half finished sandwich that it didn’t come from your plate.

- The name ‘grampy’ or ‘gramma’ doesn’t roll off their tongues with quite so much affection as it used to.

- While grooming, you work around the globs of toothpaste surrounding the bathroom sink instead of automatically cleaning them up.

- You can’t remember when there wasn’t a baby seat in your car.

- You automatically give the sofa a once over for foreign objects before sitting down.

- There’s a big stain on your shirt and you go to the store without changing, saying ‘Who cares?’

- You prefer hearing  “thank you, Grampy” and “Yes, Nana” to “I love you, Grandma.” (This is a close one but you know what I mean!)

If you are raising grandchildren I bet you can name some of your own…

Thanks John!  To all the grandparents who are helping raise grandchildren…May the good Lord bless you and keep you in His care!

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Last month they had an article in their magazine called “Do It Yourself Financial Freedom.”  One of the last items on the list of things you could do to save money (according to the author Jane Bryant Quinn) was, “Move in with your kids-the last resort if all else fails. That should be motivation enough to get moving on your own plan for financial success.”

This month in AARP a reader wrote in and responded to that statement and I liked her answer so much that I wanted to share it with you. The letter said in part, “My grown daughters have invited me to live with them when the appropriate time arrives. In this multicultural world, I find Ms. Quinn is overlooking the millions of families who would consider it an honor that their parents would live with them. To all of us, and all of them, blessed are we to be loved and respected.”  Edwyna (Fong) Spiegal

Every family is different and it’s naive to think that everyone in the world rejects multi-generational families living together.  In fact, in many countries it is common for children to live with their parents until they marry, even when they don’t marry until they are in their late twenties or even thirties. There are also many homes where parents and grandparents are welcomed with open arms.

A couple of Sundays ago at church the lady who sits behind me and I were chatting. She informed me that her elderly mother was about to move in with her and her husband. Jean is about my age and works at a local factory. Almost every weekend her grandchildren visit and she and her husband bring them to church. When she told me her mother was moving in with her I commented, “You are going to be even busier, aren’t you?”  She smiled and said, “I am really looking forward to having mom live with us. She’ll be a big help and we enjoy each other’s company.”

So to the lady who wrote the letter to AARP I say, “Amen, sister!”  Michelle Obama’s mother moved in with her family and it’s working out just fine. When it comes to families living together there are no visible boundaries if love abounds!

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