Kincare Grandparents

Tips to Help Grandparents Learn to Parent Again

admin — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Parenting, unarguably, is the toughest job in the world. When grandparents help raise or raise their grandchildren, it can be a challenge, to say the least.

A few benefits can have as far as parenting a second time around include experience. Although some schools of thought may have changed, parenting a small child or baby has not changed much. Grandparents, if they are lucky, may also be more financially secure and have more free time. Both of which can be a great advantage when raising a child. Grandparents who are retired or semi retired have the luxury of not having to rush to work or meetings.

Grandparents can have more patience with their grandchildren, but may also have more medical issues than when they were parenting the first time. Changing diapers is easier when the child is either a newborn or a toddler who can pick himself up on a bed. Lifting a heavy toddler can take a toll on the back and knees. Grandparents with partners can work out the details of who lifts and changes. Take it slow and don’t sweat the small stuff. Enjoy the time with your grandchild that time rushed through the first time around.

Fun Outdoor Games the Young and Old Will Enjoy

admin — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Over the centuries, many new outdoor games have been created. From football to golf many of these games have made it to the big league. The best games, however, are the ones you can play in your own back yard, with the whole family.

Frisbee is a great game for everyone, and with so many variations of the classic, it never gets old. Frisbee golf is fun for any age. Frisbee golf is played by trying to hit a designated target with a Frisbee. Attempts will be scored until either the last target is hit or someone gives up. Ultimate Frisbee is played similar to football and is a blast for adults and older children.

Horseshoes it excellent for smaller yards. During the game constants attempt to loop a horseshoe around a metal steak in the ground some yards away. This game is great for all ages, just make sure the other team has stepped away from the steak before making your toss.

These are just a few of the great games that have been created in backyards all over the world. It can be a lot of fun for everyone to make up your own family games as well.

How Can Grandparents Manage Stress When Raising Children?

admin — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0000

There are more grandparents today that are raising children, for whatever reason. If it is the desire for grandparents to raise children again and it is a personal decision of theirs, then the stress is not as great.

If the grandparents are thrown into a situation where they really do not have a choice about raising children again, and have to do this to prevent the child from going into the foster system, then, the stress is greater.

Once grandparents are retired, their empty nest becomes appealing. They get set into a routine that allows for more freedom and enjoyment of life. As much as we love and enjoy our grandchildren, raising children again can throw us a curve, if not prepared.

The best thing that grandparents can do if they find that they have/want to raise children again is to consider the life style changes necessary to take on this responsibility. They have to readjust their thinking and routines in order to cope with these changes. A family therapist may also be a healthy option.

Most grandparents can say that they could have done some things differently, with their children. They now have that second chance to do better.

Staying Young While Raising Your Grandkids

admin — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Raising children is hard enough when you’re young but when you’re tasked with raising kids again after retirement, it gets even harder. Here are a few of the simplest ways you can keep up with young ones again once you’ve hit your golden years
Exercise! You’ve been hearing it for years but the best way to stay young of body is to get out and exercise. Invest in a treadmill for the house or take the kids on daily walks around the neighborhood. Whatever you do get moving and move often.
Physical! Go to your doctor to make sure there’s nothing you need to feel even younger. For example, you may need to have your eyes checked or look into a hearing aid – whatever the case, a physical is bound to improve your health.
Read! Get some resources to help you learn what raising a child in today’s world is really like. Things have changed in the last few decades and the more prepared you are, the easier the whole experience will be.

Kinship Navigator Programs offer helping hands

www.kincaregrandparents.org — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 05:32:57 +0000

Unfortunately, despite the growing number of “grandfamilies” in the United States (more than 2.5 million grandparents are primarily responsible for a child), few people outside of those directly affected are educated about the challenges these families face. To combat this lack of awareness, some states have enacted kinship navigator programs to offer assistance and support to kinship caregivers. Currently, there are programs of some sort in New Jersey, Ohio, Washington, Connecticut, and New York. Other states don’t have statute-established programs, but still offer programs with similar functions.The purpose of a kinship navigator program is to educate grandparents on the benefits and services that are available, with follow-ups to ensure that the families receive as much continual support as possible. As many kinship caregivers have discovered, there are many legal issues involved with caring for a grandchild. These programs “navigate” the murky legal waters of the issue and help families access the health insurance and grants that they desperately need.Ohio’s program, one of the earliest, is offered as a service by the Area Office on Aging of Northwestern Ohio. Each month, the group sends out a newsletter with upcoming events, spotlights on local grandparents in the community, and articles for grandparents on how to connect with their younger grandchildren, especially when talking about difficult subjects like sex and drugs.The most important function of these navigator programs is in reminding grandparents that they are not alone. As mentioned above, the number of families living in this arrangement is growing, and each one can benefit from a sense of connection, whether it’s a helping hand or just a listening ear. If you live in a state without an official kinship navigator program, talk to your local representatives to see what can be accomplished.

Differences the second time through

www.kincaregrandparents.org — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 21:40:20 +0000

The phrase “If I could do it all again” is a common one among parents of grown children. Some wouldn’t change a thing, while others feel that their new experiences since then have given them a new perspective on parenting that would lead to new decisions. When a grandparent becomes responsible for raising their grandchild, differences occur regardless of intent, however.For one thing, grandparents must contend with their own aging while raising grandchildren. Many people age differently, and some will have the same energy they did 20 years ago, while others will face more difficulties. Either way, bringing a young child into the house can be exhausting for the best of grandparents.Financial changes can also add a new wrinkle to the experience. Many grandparents have retired and are living on a fixed income or pension. This is one reason that many grandparents run into financial difficulties. Luckily, there are other programs to helpsee the “Tax Credits” page for more information. We will focus on this more in upcoming articles.Grandparents must also find a way to work out the birth parent’s relationship to the child, or to explain if the parent is no longer around. Extreme cases (like Jack Nicholson, who believed that his grandparents were his parents until he was 37) are probably not the right way to go. You should decide how much honesty is appropriate at what age, though, and respond accordingly. It will definitely be a new experience raising a child as a grandparent, but it can be just as rewarding and fulfilling as the first time.

The kinship caregiver’s required reading list

www.kincaregrandparents.org — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 13:44:20 +0000

It can be difficult to grab time for reading when you’re a grandparent caring for a young child. However, we recommend making time while your grandchild is at school or childcare to check out these resources. All are written within the last 20 yearsthe research and support on kincare grandparents is a relatively new field.The Essential Grandparent: A Guide to Making a Difference by Dr. Lillian Carson (Health Communications, Inc., 1997) is a valuable resource for any grandparent that has or desires a close relationship with their grandchildren. However, it’s especially useful for grandparents caring for their grandchildren while trying to navigate their relationship with their adult child. If the parent is not able to care for the child himself or herself, it can create strains in the familial dynamic.Relatives Raising Children: An Overview of Kinship Care edited by Joseph Crumbley and Robert L. Little (Child Welfare League of America, 1997) is geared toward child welfare professionals, but its discussion of legal and clinical topics of interest to kinship caregivers (like legal rights and both sides’ feelings of anger or anxiety) makes it an important book for grandparents as well.Raising Our Children’s Children by Deborah Doucette-Dudman with Jeffrey R. Lacure (Fairview Press, 1997) collects several case studies of kinship care arrangements, written by an author who is a grandparent caregiver herself. The book tackles the difficult issues of why a birthparent would become unwilling or unable to care for their own child, and how best a grandparent can step in to the situation.Ticklebelly Hill: Grandparents Raising Grandchildren by Hilda Osborne (AuthorHouse, 2003) is a non-clinical memoir of one grandparent’s experience raising grandchildren. Many grandparents will be able to associate with her mixed feelings at her daughter’s choices and her new responsibilities. Ultimately, however, the book is uplifting and reveals the bright side of a grandparent-caregiver relationship.

CHALLENGES faced by kinship caregivers

www.kincaregrandparents.org — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 13:37:29 +0000

1. Legal – Grandparents may need legally recognized status as primary caregiver for school enrollment and/or medical consent.2. Financial -

Kincare Grandparents often have trouble with day-to-day living expense.
Many don’t know how to access benefits.
Middle income grandparents slip through the cracks

3. Health/medical

Many kincare children do not have health insurance

4. Childcare

Difficult to find affordable child care.
Often not available unless the caregivers have legal custody or guardianship.

5. Education

Need some kind of legal status to enroll the child in school.
Schools need to have an understanding of the unique situations of these children.

6. Emotional/psychological

Most of these children are traumatized and angry. Many have some type of disability. Both sides (Kincare Grandparents and the children) experience Grief, loss and anger.

7. Housing

Grandparents may live in housing that doesn’t allow children or is inadequate due to size.