Hi Everyone!!!

I am new here and hope this is a busy place. I love to chat about everything. I have 7 almost 8 grandkids ages 11.5 down to baby due in Jan. So I will have 4 boys and 4 girls. I babysit for my 23 mo old granddaughter 3 x a week. Does anyone else here do that?

kids moving out of state

I am feeling a little bit down because my son and daughter-in-law now live 13 hrs away and he is having his first child in 12 weeks. I have 2 other grandkids from my daughter who I love dearly and have a very close relationship. They come and spend lots of time with us and we are very close with them. I would like to hear from some grandparents that have long distance relationships with their g (More Inside)

need advice from grandparents

Hi everyone,
I'm hoping someone on this site can give me some advice. I am not a grandmother, but am having problems with one. I have three children with my husband. My in-laws are heavily involved in their lives, which is great. I love them and they love my kids dearly. They are very important to them. My problem is that they are very controlling people, (have been since day 1). They completely (More Inside)

Nicknames

Personally, I have never used a nickname with my son or my granddaughter.
I even told his teachers that his name is Matthew, not Matt.
I had a nickname all my likfe which I didn't mind, it is still used, but like for them to be called by name.

What was your grandchild's first word?

Here's another Question of the Week.

What was your grandchild's first word?

Feel free to post your response below. You can make it long or short and there are no wrong answers!

I need a name

We are having our first grandchild. She is due in December. But everyone is excited. My siblings already have grandchildren. So I need a name. My sisters are all called "Nanny" by their grandchildren. I want something different. My husband does like "Papa". Any suggestions? We really need help!

Liking Being a Grandparent--Uh, Not So Much

Am I the only new grandparent out here that hasn't gotten the hang of it yet? I'm not crazy about how they are raising my grandson--not much discipline--feed him high fiber bars instead of dinner--gave up on potty training--he sleeps in their bed, etc. So when I babysit, I get to deal with all of this and I just don't like it. They do not want my advice and giving it is the best way to get into t (More Inside)

Does just looking at your grandchild (children) bring tears of joy to your eyes?

Demetri is my first grandchild. He is 9 months old, I sometimes just look at the wonder of him at how perfect he is and how much joy he brings me and I get all teary eyed.
He could just be sitting there doing nothing, and I just well up.
Anyone else get this over emotional?

What one piece of advice would you pass on to new grandparents?

In the interest of sparking some discussion around here, we're going to start posting daily questions. You can find them posted here and also linked from the front page of Grandparents.com.

Today's question -- what one piece of advice would you pass on to new grandparents?

Feel free to post your response below. You can make them as long or as short as you like and there are no wro (More Inside)

Cash or Gifts for Birthdays?

We'd love some advice about whether we should be expected to give cash for our grandchildren's birthdays. One of my husband's sons has just sent us an e-mail telling us that his eldest boy, who turns 12 in a few weeks, has put in a request for cash to add to his savings. He likes to get expensive things and had been asking for them. His parents told him that if he's interested in expensive things (More Inside)

In the Delivery Room

Were you in the delivery room during the birth of one (or all!) of your grandkids? What was it like watching your daughter (or daughter-in-law) give birth to your new grandchild? If you haven't already, check out the "Dueling with the Doula" story linked below and share your stories here.

see link

what do I do?

I snapped at my granddaughter and now she doesn't want to stay the night with me. What can I do? I apoligized to her and told her the reason, but now I know there is no reason to have done that. What can I do to let her know it will never happen again?

Estranged Grandparents

Hi,
I'm new to this site and have 3 granchildren ages 1, 10 & 12. I have not seen or heard from them going on 1 year now. I tried to extend the olive branch numerous times but was ignored. My daughter holds a grudge for no reason and it can last a lifetime with her. This is what she is teaching her kids to do also. Does anyone have this same problem?
anitatanner@yahoo.com

first grandchild word

Mom

Holiday Crafts

Can you possibly post year round holiday crafts that can be created with young 2-5 year old Grandchildren? It'd be nice to be able to collect the supplies ahead of time and have them stored so when they come over before the holidays we'd have neat crafts to make for any upcoming holiday.
Thanks for you time, Debra J. Gonzales LA