My husband, two young children (ages two and four), and I are now living in a community in which gun ownership and NRA (National Rifle Association) memberships are commonplace. We moved from the East where guns were not as common. Growing up I knew that some families had guns, but I never saw them or […]
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.
In-laws Reject the Idea of an Adopted Grandchild
My husband and I have decided to adopt a child. We are currently on a wait list, so we haven’t had a referral yet. My mom is excited. She helped us get a loan for the adoption costs and everything, but my husband’s family either acts like they don’t care or they are offensive about […]
Ask Dr. Gramma Karen: Philanthropic Grandparents Can Make a Difference
Dear Readers, The exact number of grandparents involved in philanthropic activities is not known, but it is an undisputed fact that multitudes of grandparents are performing charitable acts in numerous ways, e.g., volunteering, making donations, starting their own organizations. Grandparents become involved with charitable organizations for a variety of reasons, for example, they want to: […]
Ask Dr. Gramma Karen: Grandmother Is Offended by Granddaughter’s Swearing
Recently, as a favor to my daughter-in-law, I started picking up my 11-year-old granddaughter and two of her friends after their sports practice and driving them home. Call me a prude, but I find the swearing these three girls do to be offensive, and the way they talk about sex is disgusting and makes them […]
Ask Dr. Gramma Karen: Readers’ Comments on “Mother Wants Money from Grandparents for Kids’ Camp”
Many readers commented on my column, Mother Wants Money from Grandparents for Kids’ Camp. In general, the responses were of two types: (1) Personal reactions to the young mom who was considering asking her in-laws for money for her kids’ expensive camp program; (2) Grandparents sharing how they are currently helping their grandchildren financially. One […]
Ask Dr. Gramma Karen: Nonreligious Parents Face Problems Raising Their Children
Your column, “Helping a Grandchild Deal with the Death of a Pet”, got me thinking about other aspects of parenting and religion. Recently, because of a change in his job, my husband, our two young children and I moved from a large, cosmopolitan city to a smaller, southern city. Even though we live in a […]
Ask Dr. Gramma Karen: Helping a Grandchild Deal with the Death of a Pet
My son, Mark, and his wife, Angela, are parents to our granddaughter, Cindy, age six. My husband and I live near them and we spend a lot of wonderful time together. We all get along just fine, but I do see a situation brewing that is of concern to my husband and me. Mark and […]
Ask Dr. Gramma Karen: Everything Begins With a Story
Everything begins with a story . . . stories can help show the way – the way to transformation of consciousness – thinking in one way and now thinking in another way. Stories are psychological therapy . . . seeking harmony and balance through stories . . . Everything begins with a story. (Joseph Campbell, […]