Putting the “Grand” in Grandparent

We imagine that one of the greatest times in someone’s life is finding out that they are going to be grandparents. Who doesn’t love grandparents? Grandchildren sure do. New parents, however, may have to navigate this new relationship with caution.

Grandparents mean well but sometimes overstep boundaries. They may give advice that is not up to date with current evidence-based practices. So, what’s a new parent to do? We have a few ways that grandparents can get more comfortable and confident in their new role, while still maintaining appropriate boundaries. Here’s what we suggest:

1. Do some reading. We recommend Today’s Grandmother, The Grandparent Guide, and Unconditional Love: A Guide to Navigating the Joys and Challenges of Being a Grandparent Today. All three books talk about challenges and blessings of being a modern grandparent.

2. Check out a few websites. Here are the ones we recommend:
   The Grandparent Effect
   PEPS: Grandparenting
   Babycenter

3. Take a Newborn Care class to learn the most up-to-date recommendations for the care of newborns. Doulas of Raleigh offers this class each month and welcomes the attendance of grandparents.

Doing these three things will go along way in smoothing the relationship between grandparents and new parents. Fostering this relationship will make things better for all three generations.