7 Valuable Lessons We Can Learn From Celebrity Grandparents

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These interviews on Grandparenting as a Celebrity were orginally posted on The Huffington Post Yagana Shah

1. Spoil them when you can:

Sally Field has had a number of roles under her belt, but these days you can find her playing babysitter to her grandkids — despite her busy schedule. “I’m probably like every other grammy. I give them too much. I let them run all over me,” Field toldLadies Home Journal of her four grandchildren. “They love to come over to the house and swim in the pool… When I can be with them I am a great grandmother

2. Share Your interests when you can

It seems the Beatles rocker Paul McCartney has always wanted grandkids — and now he has his wish. He penned the song, “When I’m Sixty-Four” back in the 1960s, which includes the phrase, “If it’s not too dear; We shall scrimp and save; Grandchildren on your knee; Vera, Chuck & Dave.” And now McCartney is the proud grandpa of eight! And it appears they’ve inherited some of his musical genius. He told The New York Times about how, like any cool grandpa, he plays “Rock Band” with his grandkids. “My grandkids always beat me at Rock Band. And I say, Listen, you may beat me at Rock Band, but I made the original records, so shut up,” he said. Adorable.

3. Trust ,Appreciate and Respect your kids as parents

While Blythe Danner calls being grandma her top role and the one that’s most important to her, you won’t find her doling out parenting advice to daughter Gwyneth Paltrow. “I’m not quite as wise and judicious in my input. I try to just be there if needed,” Danner told MSN. “My daughter is extraordinary with them,” she said of grandkids Apple and Moses. “She’s a much more patient mother than I was…when she had children she just was completely devoted to that and listens to them and talks to them. They never have temper tantrums because she just knows how to sweep them aside and talk to them and they listen. She’s very rational. I just admire it. I don’t know how she does it really,” Danner said

4. Emulate your own Grandparents

Prince Charles is just starting to get the hang of being a grandparent, with his first grandchild being born less than a year ago. But it’s clear the future monarch has it figured out pretty well already. The heir to the throne told well-wishers on a royal visitthat he’s following his late grandmother’s lead. “Yes, it’s a different part of life. The great thing is to encourage them. Show them things to take their interest. My grandmother did that, she was wonderful.” He also added the importance of developing a close bond with your grandkids early on and that he’s been told he will likely have more time for his grandkids than he did for his kids. The Queen Mother had a particularly close relationship with Charles since he was a child, and reportedly even tried to help keep him from attending a boarding school far away from home.

5. Lead by Example

Heartthrob Tony Danza is among Hollywood’s youngest grandparents, becoming a grandpa at just 53! Danza himself was a young father, but says parenting is even more difficult nowadays. His advice? ” it all goes back to showing them how to be a good person. Keep them close to you. And make dinner together,” Danza toldGrandparents.com. Danza says he enjoys cooking with his grandson, “Nicky Macaroni,” making pizza with him. “I want to be a good example.”

6. Draw from your own Parenting Mistakes

Parenthood was a bumpy road for crooner Lionel Richie and his reality-TV-star daughter, Nicole. Nicole had a troubled phase around the same time she shot to stardom in Hollywood, dealing with drug addiction and legal troubles. She’s since become a successful fashion designer, philanthropist, and mother. “When you have a teenage daughter growing up in Hollywood, in the business, I mean, what I went through with Nicole… honestly, there is no control,” Richie told omg! Insider. Richie says he’s better being grandfather, than he was being a father, given his parenting experience. Richie said Nicole now comes to him for parenting advice.

7.Make up your own Rules

Find out what works for you, whether it’s a certain style of grandparenting, how often you see your grandkids, or how much involvement you have in major decisions in their life. Heck, you don’t even have to call yourself a grandparent. Admittedly, many people are daunted by being called “grandma” or “grandpa” — especially when they are younger grandparents. Blythe Danner, Goldie Hawn, and Priscilla Presley all prefer not to be called grandma, given the “aged” connotation of the word. Hawn calls herself a “Glam-ma.” There’s more than one right way. Find out what works for you and your family.

 

Build a Library to Love

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Build a library of books your Grandchild will love. Share your favorites and seek out new ones to share. Your Grandchild will learn to love books and this is a lifelong passion that will benefit them in many ways.

Top of our book list was:

Good Night Moon Margaret Wise Brown

On the Night Your Were Born Nancy Tillman

Grandfather Twilight Barbara Helen Berger

Caps for Sale Esphyr Slobobkina

How do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight Jane Yolen

The Giving Tree Shel Silverstein

The BFG Roald Dahl

Love You Forever Robert M Munsch

Charlotte’s Web E B White

The Napping House Audrey Wood

 

What are your family favorites ?

 

 

Click on this link for a list of favorites:

http://childrensbooksguide.com/top-100

Grandma Monica’s 1st Lil Project on You Tube

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Grandma Monica’s art project with her Grand Daughter. I love the colors chosen to use and how the project turned out. Thank you for submitting the video

Grandma Monica says : Our 1st lil project only took 2 weeks lol hanging out at grandma’s

Here is the You Tube link :  http://youtu.be/QC-3XhABvVg

 

 

Grandma’s Blog

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Start a  personal Blog that any member of the family can add to. Children will enjoy seeing their  pictures on the Blog, and you can post accounts that you remember from your childhood, preserving your memories for generations . Ask other relatives to post as well, adding whatever memories and pictures they can.  Your blog can function as an ongoing family reunion, which can be especially valuable for families who are separated by large distances. There are many different formats for the Blog such as Storybook, Educational, Timeline or Scrapbook.Pick the format that best fits your family’s style.Make it fun and the more family members  that contribute the better the content will be on the Blog.

Here are easy instructions on how you or one of your family members can start a Blog. The Blog is easy to maintain and can be accessed by many family members. The Blog can be free or  have a minimal cost.

Click on this link to get started :

http://learn.wordpress.com/get-started

The Blog can integrate Family photos, biblical scripture, recipes, newspaper articles, awards and any information that makes your family unique.

This Blog has contained a bit of my family history and we hope to add a capsule of family history for future generations.

Please contact me with any questions and I can help you start your own Family Blog

 

Easter Peeps Sunflower Cake Recipe

 
 
 
 
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Nanny Tibbits loves to bake a special cake for Easter Fun. Last year she made this Peeps Sunflower Cake. LIttle Emma had fun looking for easter eggs and eating this sunny flower cake  
 
Recipe  for this Sunny Easter Cake below
 
 
 
TOTAL TIME: Prep: 15 min. Bake: 30 min. + cooling
MAKES: 12 servings

Ingredients

  •   1 package yellow cake mix (regular size)
  •   2 cans (16 ounces each) chocolate frosting
  •   19 to 20 yellow chick Peeps candies
  • 1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

 
MyiDirections
  1. Prepare and bake cake mix according to package directions, using two parchment paper-lined and greased 9-in. round baking pans. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks; remove paper. Cool completely.
  2. If cake layers have rounded tops, trim with a long serrated knife to make level. Spread frosting between layers and over top and sides of cake.
  3. For petals, arrange Peeps around edge of cake, curving slightly and being careful not to separate chicks. For sunflower seeds, arrange chocolate chips in center of cake. Yield: 12 servings.
Originally published as Peeps Sunflower Cake in Taste of Home February/March 2008, p67

Magic Jelly Bean Garden

Grandma Susette plans on every Easter planting a Magic Jelly Bean Garden with her grandson.The child plants some jelly beans and while the child sleeps grandma replaces the beans with lolli pops .When the child wakes the next morning there is a Magic Lolli pop garden. What a fun Easter idea

Magic Jelly Bean Garden

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Roots and Boots Craft

Drill a hole in the ribber rain boot sole

Drill a hole in the ribber rain boot sole

Water drain hole

Water drain hole

Add gravel to the boot for stability and drainage

Add gravel to the boot for stability and drainage

Add potting soil for plant type

Add potting soil for plant type

Select succulents and plant

Select succulents and plant

Finished Roots and Boots You can also use Cowboy boots or any tall shoe

Finished Roots and Boots
You can also use Cowboy boots or any tall shoe

Picture Perfect

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Grandma Monica sent us these two portraits she had taken of Great Great Grandma

Carmen, Great Grandma Alice, Grandma Monica ,Mom Tiffany and babies Lillian and Jonathan

Monica had Photographer Daniel Sayre from Fresno ,California take these photos for her family

What a wonderful photo journal of five generations

Worry Worry Everywhere

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I had  a friend say to me recently She did not want to be a Grandma because she did not want to worry about another child . Her children are in their late teens and early twenties so she has time to change her mind. A parent can spend their child’s whole life worrying . Everyone knows there is plenty to worry about with children these days. I came across this saying ” Worrying is like Praying for what you don” t want to happen” and it makes a lot of sense. As a grandparent worry will be a part of your relationship with your grand children. But as we all know worry does not accomplish anything productive.

How is your worry for your grand child different then for your child? How do you manage your worry for your grand children?

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