How To Really Love Your Grandchild - Welcome my Guest-blogger!!

I have been blessed with a mother-in-law who is my sister in Christ and my dear friend. This dear lady has loved me as her own since I came into her family some 20 years ago, and she has loved my two sons as her own. Today, she guest-blogs for me on this book, How To Really Love Your Grandchild. I am honored to welcome her here to my window! Please welcome, Vicki to my Window!!

This is a wonderful guideline for any grandparent who wants to be involved in their grandchild's life, or who already is. It is written from a grandparent's point of view, and provides the reader with an insight of phases and challenges to expect to encounter, scriptures to teach by, with encouragement on how to do it all a second time around!

The subject of the book is grandparenting in the time in which we find ourselves. Dr. Campbell's promise to us in the first chapter is that our doubts can be overcome by hope. This is, after all, still God's world, He is in it, and He wants to bless our grandchildren because He loves them. This is a book of hope and encouragement. The author wishes for us to understand how society has changed in very disturbing ways since the days of our "Mayberry" youth, but how we can't "look the other way" because it limits our ability to help our grandchildren. They may not have the advantage of a community atmosphere where everyone watches out for each other. We should not be reluctant to step up to teach values. The assumption cannot be made that grandchildren will naturally know obvious truths and simple virtues.

Love for grandchildren is stressed throughout the book. We are reminded that love is a basic emotional need in everyone, and that children want desperately to be loved. God placed that need within them. Children grasp love as a personal experience, and they will respond to grandparents who reach out to them with affection and acceptance. A wonderful relationship with a grandchild will be a most rewarding friendship in the autumn of life. We are loved for who we are, so build a relationship based on the intangibles of love, is the author's advice. Expressing love must be done consistantly, and it must continue at every age. Love is one of the four fundamental requirements for all children that are listed in chapter five. In 1 Corinthians 13, we read "the greatest of these is love." The other requirements are Discipline, Security, and Guidance. It would be hard to provide these without love. Besides, grandchildren learn to love through these being carried out.

There is an eye-opening chapter on taking care of ourselves, so that we can take care of the ones we love. Keeping fit, eating healthy, staying stress free as much as possible, getting enough sleep, seeing our doctors, all are his medical advice.

Other chapters cover grandchildren with special needs, dealing with anger, parenting full-time to grandchildren, how to keep in touch long distance, helping our children care for theirs, and more on discipline and protection. All are wonderfully written with Scriptural guidelines.

The chapter on telling the truth, keeping promises, and taking responsibility for one's behavior reminds us that grandchildren need to have as a goal to step up and take ownership of their lives, their decisions and their mistakes. We can help by being an example for them to emulate. They see how we react to situations, how we feel or think about issues, how we respond to others in conversations.

Introduce your grandchildren to Scripture. It is our charge to prepare them, to help them meet God. What comfort to know that they will walk hand in hand with Him. We need to trust God to help us understand all we need to know in being a grandparent. We can make a powerful and permanent contribution to the wellbeing of our grandchildren. The author gives us a great credo in 1 Corinthians 13: 7-8. He suggests substituting "grandparents" for the word "love". We are encouraged to pray for wisdom, and to devote our lives to this sacred calling.

I would highly recommend this book.