grandparenting

Grandma School

by Karen Robbins March 20, 2012
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School? At my age? Well, yes. A special school—one for new grandparents. They are springing up all over the country. Grandparents have become more than just the occasional babysitter in many cases. They are often the go-to people for help with child care when parents need two incomes and can’t find affordable or trustworthy day [...]

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You Don’t Bake Cookies?

by Karen Robbins March 1, 2010
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If you are like me, you grew up on the family shows on TV that featured a lovely fashionable woman in a crisp shirtdress, coordinating apron, pearls adorning her neck, and wooden spoon in hand as she cheerily greeted her family and kissed her husband without ever mussing her makeup. That image of motherhood faded [...]

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Toolboxes and Tool Belts

by Karen Robbins November 5, 2009

Most people think of a toolbox as a place for hammers, screwdrivers, wrenches, and pliers. But toolboxes are created in various shapes, sizes, and venues and for a plethora of needs. I have a little toolbox for all my sewing machine parts that are interchangeable to create embroidery designs. Then there’s the toolbox for my [...]

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Planting Miracles

by Karen Robbins May 7, 2009

Perhaps it is because of the unusual good spring weather we’ve had. Or maybe it is the anticipation of spreading a truckload of mulch in the yard and beginning the planting of annuals. Whatever the reason, I remembered a sweet little book I have that sits on my shelf of “keepers” upstairs. It’s called We [...]

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Grandparents and Childcare

by Karen Robbins March 29, 2009
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Do you babysit the grands? Are you a full time caregiver for them? Or are you like the grandmother I ran across in an article recently who says she feels no guilt in telling her daughter that she will not babysit or provide child care? It’s her time to do what she would like to [...]

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Faster Than a Speeding Nerf Ball

by Karen Robbins January 9, 2009

When my children were younger and still at home there was a period of time where all the women’s magazines and talk shows were all about the Super Mom. She was portrayed as the cloaked lady who could leap tall piles of laundry in a single bound while reading Seuss to her children and baking [...]

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The Grandkids are Coming!

by Karen Robbins December 2, 2008
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My grandkids were all at our home for the Thanksgiving holiday. Since they come from the farthest northwest and southeast ends of the country and would not be making a second trip for Christmas, we decided to break with tradition this year and exchange Christmas gifts on that weekend.

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Grandma’s Coming!

by Constance Gilbert April 5, 2008
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Oh, how I dreaded my grandmother’s arrival every summer. It always ended with my parents arguing, my mother threatening, and undue punishment for us kids. When I was very young I remember visiting Grandma in her apartment. My mother would give us strict orders not to eat or drink anything, and not to use the [...]

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Not a SAHG

by Karen Robbins April 1, 2008

The other day I heard a woman describe herself as a Stay At Home Grandmother. She cared for her grandchildren while their mother helped to make ends meet in this economy where two incomes are almost an essential to survival. While her job description brought a smile to my face, it also reminded me of [...]

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Tradition!

by Karen Robbins February 10, 2008

Yes, I am a shameless Ohio State Buckeye fan. It is my alma mater and my husband’s as well. Bob grew up in Columbus so, as they say, he “bleeds scarlet and gray.” Much excitement is generated in “old Columbus town” on football Saturdays but it doesn’t entirely involve passing or kicking a football. It [...]

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Resolve to Be a Healthier Grandparent

by Karen Robbins January 3, 2008
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It’s a new year. Did you make any resolutions? A new year is always a new opportunity to put into practice what we know we should have been doing all along. If you are like me and thoroughly enjoy watching your grandchildren grow and mature, you want to be around to see as much of [...]

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