I am not a parent or a grandparent, but I am an aunt and I hope you’ll address this issue. My sister Brenda and her husband Patrick have two kids, my niece Kathleen, age 5, and my nephew Frankie, age 3. I adore these kids and love being with them, except at mealtimes. I dread […]
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.
My Grandson Repeated Something Hurtful My Daughter Said
We live near our daughter, Carly, her husband, and their two children, Mikey, who is five, and Julie, who is ten. We spend a lot of enjoyable time with their family, sometimes babysitting, sometimes just everybody being together. A couple of weeks ago when the grandchildren were spending the weekend with us while their parents […]
My Granddaughter’s Secret
A few months ago my granddaughter Ruth, with whom I am very close, asked me if I would promise not to tell anyone if she told me something. I agreed. She told me that she is dating Kip, a young man she met at college. The problem is that he is not of our religion […]
I Distrust My Stepmother’s Dog
My mom died a few years ago. Last year my dad married Dottie. My husband and I have a three-year-old daughter, Kelly. Here is the problem. Dottie has a rescue dog, Butch, and she insists he has to be with her all the time, and I mean all the time. Butch was at their wedding! […]
My Granddaughter Wants a Cellphone, but Her Mom Says No
My granddaughter Becky will be ten next month. She told me she wants a cellphone for her birthday, but her mother said she’s too young and can’t get one. Becky said a lot of her friends have one and she doesn’t see why she can’t have one, too. She said she’d be willing to help […]
Great Pieces of Advice
Ask Dr. Gramma Karen is on vacation until the new year. But have no fear, today we will be sharing some of our favorite pieces of advice she has given us over the past 3 months. If you haven’t caught up with Dr. Gramma Karen, you can find her giving advice to parents and grandparents […]
My Grandson Is No Longer Loving Towards Me
This letter concerns my relationship with my eight-year-old grandson Matt. For the first five years of his life I cared for Matt several times a week, until he reached school age. We had a wonderful and loving relationship. At age five his parents divorced – a mean and difficult divorce. Matt’s mother played him against […]
Grandmother Sees a Potential Speech Problem, Parents Don’t Agree
I visit with my son, his wife and their three-year-old son for a couple of days every six weeks or so. I love spending time with my grandson Michael. My relationship with my son is good. My relationship with my daughter-in-law is okay, but she tends to get snippy with me when I ask even […]