Being a Great Grandparent

Next to the love of their parents, the grandparent-grandchild bond is the most emotionally powerful relationship children have, experts say in a recent Mayo Clinic Health Letter.

Three-quarters of all Americans over 65 are grandparents, and it’s projected that half of today’s grandparents will someday be great-grandparents.

There is little to guide grandparents on how to create positive relationships with their grandchildren, experts note. Even so, most do a great job. Some guidelines for being a good grandparent include:

* Send frequent letters to your grandchildren.

* Don’t give advice about child-rearing unless your children ask.

* Support the parents, especially when they are caring for newborns.

* Give small children your undivided attention.

* Provide a link with the past; show your grandchild pictures of you as a child.

* Create memories and traditions.

* Don’t let the “I don’t want to interfere” excuse keep you from being an involved grandparent.

* Offer the gift of time; unhurried explanations or including a child in daily activities mean a lot.