Can The Weather Have An Effect On Your Grandchild’s Behaviour?
Well, we’ve been having a glorious warm and sunny Indian Summer here in the UK, which s just as well because the one we were expecting during the long school holidays failed to make an appearance!
But now it’s all change again, flip flops are being relegated to the back of the wardrobe and woollies are being hauled out. Living with our unpredictable weather can be a challenge for the most positive amongst us. But have you ever stopped to wonder what sort of effect the weather has on our grandchildren?
» Read MoreGet Ready To Help The Grandkids In To The Routine Of A New School Year
Who better than virtualgranny’s ace education expert Denise Howe to help us play our part in settling the grandchildren in to the new school year?
It can be daunting for the grandkids to be moving classrooms, teachers and sometimes schools as autumn beckons, so sharpen your pencils grandparents and give yourself top marks if you manage to follow all of Denise’s top tips for getting the kids in to a grand new routine.
Grandma, Do You Think Your Children Are Bad Parents?
Grandchildren are badly disciplined, lack manners and respect and their parents are too soft with them.
Ring any bells? According to the Mature Times, which commissioned the study, changing times mean that two thirds of grandparents questioned, believe that the grandchildren are being brought up badly.
But what do you think?
Are You One Of The UK Waltons?
Remember The Waltons – the US TV drama series in which Mom and Dad Walton live with their eldest son John-Boy, their six other kids and Grandma and Grandpa?
The programme was a big hit in the 1970’s, following the stories of the family who were all rubbing along together in West Virginia during the depression.
Well it seems that the UK recession has had a Walton effect on our own families, with a 27% rise in the past decade, of multiple generation families living together.
Five Steps To Becoming A Better Grandparent?
According to recommendations by think- tank CentreForum, parents should follow a “five a day” pledge to become better parents. The report calls for a national campaign, similar to the “Five A Day” fruit and vegetable drive, to boost parenting abilities.
» Read MoreGrandparents, Help Disney UK Magic Turn A MILLION Memories In To 1 Million Pounds For Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital
New research shows that 92% of UK grandparents and parents think that memories of Disney characters stay with you for life.
My own first Disney film outing was to see Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs many, many moons ago and I can remember both the cinema I visited and the spot where my seat was, so it seems that the research is spot on. Best of all, my grandchildren seemed just as enchanted when they watched Snow White for the first time, despite kids today being much more sophisticated film buffs.
Now is the time to record both your first Disney memories and to get your grandchildren to join in with theirs to raise 1 Million pounds for Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital.
» Read MoreGrowing Number Of Grandparents In The Workforce
The number of people aged over 50 still working has risen hugely over the past 20 years according to a report commissioned by the TUC.
But are we pinching our grandchildren’s jobs?
Who Would You Choose To Care For Your Grandchild?
Backed by Comic Relief, a new hard-hitting interactive campaign instigated by Grandparents Plus highlights the important role of grandparents who bring up vulnerable children who cannot live with their parents.
The campaign features a young child from a dysfunctional family. The viewer takes the role of social worker to decide whether the child should be placed with grandparents or an adoptive family. A subsequent clip reveals the outcome.
» Read MoreExclusive Interview With Queen Of Crime Val McDermid!
Head over to our book section to get inside the mind of serial best-selling crime author Val McDermid, with our exclusive video interview. Val is one of the world’s greatest crime writers, winner of both the Golden and Diamond Dagger Award’s and also the creator of TV series Touching Evil. What exactly are the secrets of her successful writing career? Much will be revealed!
» Read MoreRising Numbers Of Grandparents In Their Thirties.
Rising rates of teenage pregnancy mean that a new generation of thirty-something grandparents are shouldering the burden of caring for the babies of their teenage daughters.
The alarming report, called Changing Lives and Times, followed 300 families for 11 years, during which a rising number of teenage girls, without the support of a partner, gave birth, resulting in the generations becoming more closely spaced together in age.
