I am a part of a blended family and have been for ten years now. My husband is sweet and kind, someone I felt I could be myself with. Most important, I felt I could trust him with my children. Although my mother-in-law sees her children as successes, many people might question this about two […]
Author: Dr. Karen Rancourt
Karen L. Rancourt, Ph.D., has over 50 years of varied experience. She began her career an elementary school teacher, went on to become a college professor, management consultant to Fortune 100 companies, career coach, and author of six books and a dozens of articles. Dr. Rancourt has helped thousands of parents, professionals and grandparents make important relationship decisions.
Ask Dr. Gramma Karen: Readers’ Responses to Grandmother Hesitant to Voice Concerns
I received several comments about my column, “Grandmother Hesitant to Voice Concerns About Granddaughters’ Dietary Habits.” The responses generally fell into one of three categories: (1) The grandmother should share her concerns head-on with her daughter-in-law; (2) The grandmother should not share her concerns; (3) Ambivalence – readers admitted to going back and forth on […]
Ask Dr. Gramma Karen: Incorporating Social Justice issues Into Parenting Practices
Dear Readers, Racial violence and unrest are uppermost in the minds of people across the country. Many have asked themselves: What can I do to make a positive difference? As my former colleague and good friend, Adelaide Lancaster, and her husband raise their three young children, she is addressing this question by purposely incorporating issues […]
Ask Dr. Gramma Karen: Do’s and Don’ts for Supporting Cancer Patients
Dear Readers, It is a pleasure to introduce you to my guest columnist, Susan Rancourt. (Full disclosure: Susan is my sister-in-law.) I think you will agree that her list of “Do’s and Don’ts for Supporting Cancer Patients” is chock full of great advice. For example, instead of saying to a cancer patient, “What can I […]
Ask Dr. Gramma Karen: Readers’ Responses to Grandparents’ Political Rants
My column, “Grandparents’ Political Rants Are Upsetting,” elicited responses from many readers. Impacts on Relationships A common theme expressed by several readers is the impact this presidential campaign is having on personal relationships. For example, one reader wrote: “Good advice — I think you might need to do some reruns of this [column] in the […]
Ask Dr. Gramma Karen: Do’s and Don’ts for Supporting Widows and Widowers
Dear readers, This is an unabridged column I wrote for GRAND Magazine. According to the U.S. Census Bureau 800,000 spouses are widowed each year. Well-intentioned family members and friends, often not sure how best to be helpful to and supportive of their grief-stricken loved ones, often say and do things that are insensitive, even hurtful. […]
Ask Dr. Gramma Karen: Young Mom Dealing With a Rude Grandmother
When I was 15, I got pregnant with my daughter Tess, who is now eight years old. Tess’s father, Shane, 17 at the time, was a handsome football player from one of our town’s wealthiest families. When I got pregnant, Shane’s mother, Merry, ranted and raved about what I had done to her son’s future […]
Ask Dr. Gramma Karen: Readers’ Comments on Skyping Situation
Several readers responded to my column, “Granddaughter Resists Skyping with Grandmother”. Some merely wanted to say they appreciated having the list of websites with digital activities that could make “staying connected” more fun and interesting. “Great timing! Our Skyping with our granddaughters was beginning to feel a bit forced and repetitious, so having some different […]