Raising your grandchildren can be both rewarding and challenging. The transition to this new relationship can be stressful for the entire family. While your grandchildren are getting used to a new home and new rules, you must readjust to the responsibilities of parenting. The adjustment will take time and patience on everybody’s part. But with some planning, patience, and a lot of understanding, you can overcome the challenges of raising your grandchildren. Some of the most common challenges are discussed below, along with suggestions for making the adjustment process easier for the whole family.
Developed and released by Dr. Diane Bales, Human Development Specialist, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension. The Grandparents Raising Grandchildren series was adapted, with permission, from the Grandparents as Parents series originally developed by the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension and released by Sam Quick.
14 publications were found in this series
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Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Series: Moving Your Grandchildren into Your Home (C 1284-01) Raising your grandchildren can be both rewarding and challenging. The transition to this new relationship can be stressful for the entire family. While your grandchildren are getting used to a new hom…
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Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Series: Helping Grandchildren Stay in Contact with Parents (C 1284-02) When you take on the responsibility of raising grandchildren, you may have to navigate the tricky question of whether and how to help your grandchildren stay connected with their parents. For some gra…
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Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Series: Managing Your Stress (C 1284-03) Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the time and effort you put into raising your grandchildren? When you’re caring for children, it may seem like there are not enough hours in the day. Because you are …
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Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Series: Helping Your Grandchildren Deal with the Death of a Parent (C 1284-04) Handling death is always a difficult process. Experiencing grief stretches your emotional resources, and organizing details such as a funeral and burial requires time and planning. For some grandparen…
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Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Series: What You Need to Know about Abuse and Neglect (C 1284-05) No grandparent likes to imagine a grandchild being mistreated. But the reality is that children who live in a chaotic home, where chronic problems like family violence or substance abuse take place, a…
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Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Series: Accessing Resources in Your Community (C 1284-06) Raising grandchildren can be expensive, especially for grandparents with limited budgets. There are many resources in your community that can help make the job of raising your grandchildren easier. If…
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Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Series: Legal Issues in Caring for Your Grandchildren (C 1284-07) As a grandparent raising your grandchildren, you may not have imagined being involved with the legal system. But if your grandchildren live with you for a long time, you may eventually need legal supp…
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Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Series: Caring for Infants and Toddlers (C 1284-08) As a grandparent, you may feel “out of practice” in caring for a very young child. It may have been many years since your own children were young. We know more now about how the brain develops and how…
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Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Series: The Teenage Years (C 1284-09) Have you noticed that being a grandparent changes when children become teens? Adolescence is a time of rapid growth in how teens look, act, think, and feel. With this growth, teenagers begin to need d…
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Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Series: Helping Your Preschooler Be Ready for School (C 1284-10) Going to kindergarten is an important step in young children’s lives. As a grandparent raising your young grandchildren, you may wonder how to help your 4- or 5-year-old get ready for kindergarten. Wh…
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Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Series: Helping Your Grandchildren Succeed in School (C 1284-11) The goal of school is to prepare children to succeed in their academic, professional, and personal goals. Your grandchild doesn’t have to be the smartest child in the class to be successful in school;…
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Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Series: Fun Learning Activities for You and Your Grandchildren (C 1284-12) Have you ever heard, “I’m bored!” from your grandchildren? What can you do with your grandchildren that will keep them entertained and learning at the same time? Watching television or movies and play…
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Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Series: Out-of-Home Care for Young Children (C 1284-13) Combining grandparenting with full-time or part-time work outside the home can be challenging. Who will take care of your grandchildren while you’re at work? How do you find someone who will help your…
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Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Series: Disciplining Your Grandchildren (C 1284-14) How do you teach children to behave appropriately, even when you’re not around? The key is effective, consistent discipline. Children are most likely to be well-adjusted when you combine warmth and lo…
