With the coming of summer, it’s not too soon for grandparents to extend invitations and to plan for visits with the grandchildren. As the real-life examples below illustrate, some creativity and flexibility in the arrangements may make for visits that are more relaxing and fun for everyone.
Tag: Relationships
We all need human connection, although we don’t always do our best to cultivate and foster the relationships we value so much. Stable relationships form in infancy. A child’s earliest relationships with caregivers and family members shape her future connections. Read from the Mommybites Relationships archive. From advice for new moms, to marital relations, to relationships within an extended family, you’re sure to find something beneficial.


Ask Dr. Gramma Karen: How Grandparents Can Help Their College-Bound Grandchildren
This is not an article about the college admissions scandal. You’re welcome. Rather, this is about how grandparents can help their college-bound grandchildren. When this topic of helping is raised, providing financial help with tuition often first comes to mind. There are many resources available for grandparents with this intent. For example, in addition to consulting with their own financial planners, there are innumerable online resources for grandparents who want to help with tuition, e.g., (1) (2) (3).

Ask Dr. Gramma Karen: Update on Fiancé’s Stepfather’s Behavior
Four years ago you gave me some advice regarding my then-fiancé’s stepfather, George, who was inappropriately physical towards me. I thought you might like to know what has happened since then. I currently belong to a support group for expectant first-time moms. A couple of weeks ago we decided that each of us would write a “gratitude journal,” and share it with each other.

6 Ways to Help Siblings Get Along
Carson pulled Abbey’s hair again… And now the baby is screaming because the toddler took her toy. Does this sound like a day in your life? Or maybe it’s just the antics that take place as you’re waiting in the school drop-off line.

Ask Dr. Gramma Karen: Readers’ Comments About “Aunt Needs Help Dealing With Loss”
I received several comments about my column, “Aunt Needs Help Dealing With Loss.” Several readers said they were not expecting the focus of my response to be what it was. Other readers shared their personal experiences about the loss of a sibling.

Ask Dr. Gramma Karen: Grandmother Feels Overlooked
Dear Dr. Gramma Karen,
I have a great relationship with my daughter-in-law, Elana, and we get to see our three grandchildren often (ages 6, 8, and 10). I’m still working full time, and although I don’t have every weekend off, I never get to host weekend dinners with my son, DIL, and grandchildren.

The Calm Parent: Momcast Re-cap
We all “know” that calm parents are good for children. Parents know that in the midst of the mayhem, staying calm and not yelling is key. But unless you’re made of stone, it’s extremely hard to maintain even keel when you are dealing with kids day in and day out.

Ask Dr. Gramma Karen: Aunt Needs Help Dealing With Loss
Dear Dr. Gramma Karen,
I am 21 years old and in desperate need of advice. I live with my parents. My dead brother’s widow and her two brats, a 4-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy, live in the same town.
The brats are beyond spoiled from all sides because their father died. To be fair, I am the youngest child in my family and spoiled, so I could be the problem, as literally everybody tells me.