Tag Archives: grandparents

Episode 31. Are you Ga Ga over your grandchildren? Join the GaGa Sisterhood!



GaGa Sisterhood

Today’s guest is Donne Davis. Ever since she became a grandma she’s been on a mission to connect with other grandmas and explore what it means to be a modern grandma. “We’re in a new era of grandmotherhood,” she says. “We have more time, technology, and talent. My mission is to inspire grandmas to tap into all these resources so we’ll keep growing along with our grandchildren and children and stay connected with them.”

She founded the GaGa Sisterhood 18 years ago as a social network for enthusiastic, creative, caring women who indulge in the joy of being grandmothers. Members meet during Zoom meetings and learn from guest speakers and stay connected through blog posts, social media and email newsletters.

She is the author of When Being a Grandma Isn’t So Grand: 4 Keys to L.O.V.E. Your Grandchild’s Parents

Social Media

https://www.facebook.com/GaGaSisterhood

https://twitter.com/GaGaSisterhood

https://www.pinterest.com/gagasisterhood

https://www.instagram.com/gaga_sisterhood/

Items referenced during the interview:

Moby Wrap

The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck

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Adventures with Grammy Essay Contest!

Back to school is a few weeks away, why not help get your grandkids used to writing the dreaded essay by having them enter the Adventures with Grammy Essay Contest?

We all know grandparents rock … we need to know why your grandchildren think YOU rock! Have them tell us in a short essay – no more than 250 words – completing this thought: My Grand is grand because ….

Children ages 5 to 16 must submit their essays by 11 p.m. Friday, August 13 — we extended the deadline!

They can win prizes, read their essays in a free downloadable PDF and listen to the winning essays on a bonus episode of the Adventures with Grammy Podcast Sept. 12, 2021, which is Grandparents Day!

To learn more, visit adventureswithgrammy.com/podcast/contest.html
Please note: All children are eligible to win prizes, including those whose parents and grandparents have been guests on the podcast!

Adventures with Grammy Newsletter

To sign up, visit https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/7ZleyB4

You will receive a micro-book that provides directions for a super fun activity to do with your children and grandchildren!

Please sign up for my monthly newsletter, which is for grandparents who want to make a positive difference in their grandchildren’s lives, and for parents who want to ensure that special grandparent bond between their parents and their children. Articles will give you exclusive content I will not share on social media and a heads-up about events, products, and books I think you will find interesting.

Adventures with Grammy Podcast

Do you want to be a guest or know someone who would be an awesome guest? Let us know!

Personalized Teddy Bears

To buy the personalized stuffed bears, visit etsy.com/shop/adventureswithgrammy

Adventures with Grammy Network

Adventures with Grammy has partnered with creatives around the world to introduce you to amazing children’s literature, activities and adventures. I am thrilled to introduce you to people who are as passionate about their children and grandchildren as I am about mine. I met most of these lovely people through hosting my podcast; others I know from other associations. The bottom line is each of these connections offers something of value to families, so head to the Adventures with Grammy Network and explore!

Social Media

https://www.facebook.com/grammyadventure

https://instagram.com/grammyadventure

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtr9e59lIBxSeHJk52jJB3Q

https://linkedin.com/in/adventureswithgrammy

https://twitter.com/grammyadventure

Music:

https://audiojungle.net/user/play_m

Let me know your thoughts about the podcast: send a Tweet to @grammyadventure or an e-mail to carolyn@adventureswithgrammy.com!

#grammyadventure

#adventureswithgrammy


Episode 20 The Addicted Child: A Parent’s Guide



Adolescents begin to use marijuana, alcohol or other drugs for many reasons. Some use it to fit in with friends; others seek the drug out of curiosity or submit to peer pressure. Many, like the majority of our guest’s former patients, use it to relieve anxiety or some other intolerable feeling. Most adolescents are unaware of how marijuana adversely impacts their developing brain.

How do parents know if their children are using marijuana?

The National Institute on Drug Abuse recommends parents keep aware of changes in their children’s behavior. Declining grades, missing classes, loss of interest in things they once enjoyed or their favorite activities, changes in sleeping or eating habits, or getting into trouble in school or law enforcement could all be related to drug use or may indicate other problems.

If your children are using marijuana, the National Institute on Drug Abuse believes they might:

* seem unusually giggly and/or uncoordinated
* have very red, bloodshot eyes or use eye drops often
* have a hard time remembering things that just happened
* have drugs or drug paraphernalia – possibly claiming they belong to a friend
* have strangely smelling clothes or bedroom
* use incense and other deodorizers
* wear clothing or jewelry or have posters that promote drug use
* have unexplained lack of money or extra cash on hand.

There is help!

Richard Capriola spent 11 years working as an addictions counselor for Menninger Clinic in Houston, Texas, before retiring in 2019. Menninger Clinic is one of the top ten psychiatric hospitals in the United States and specializes in the assessment, stabilization and treatment of adults and adolescents with substance abuse and psychiatric disorders. During his tenure there he worked in the Adolescent Treatment program and the adult Comprehensive Psychiatric Assessment and Stabilization program. Working closely with psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and nurses, he was responsible for comprehensive assessments and individual and group counseling with patients diagnosed with substance use disorders. Prior to working at Menninger Clinic, Capriola worked as a mental health crisis counselor in central Illinois.

Now retired, he lives with his wife in a suburb of Houston. He enjoys reading, writing, traveling, and spending time with his family. He has one son, two stepchildren and four grandchildren.


13. What do you do when your child is melting down?



When putting together this episode of the podcast, I reflected on what my late husband and I had said we wanted for our children when they became adults.

We wanted them to be happy, healthy, and able to afford the toys they would want to buy. We wanted our sons and our daughter to be confident and kind, and we wanted them to know how to cook, to do their laundry, and to change a flat tire. We were not perfect parents, but as I watch my now adult children, I know we gave them a firm foundation and the skills they needed to become contributing members of society. In short, we raised emotionally competent people.

Emotional Competence is the focus of part one of today’s podcast. Positive discipline is the focus of part two. Each guest is an author, and each guest will give us tips on how to raise well-adjusted human beings.

Our first guest is Doug Noll, the author of the book De-Escalate: How to Calm an Angry Person in 90 Seconds or Less (Simon & Schuster, September 2017), which was the winner of the Book Excellence Award for 2017.

I invited him to be a guest because of his passion for teaching parents, grandparents and educators why understanding child development and using appropriate discipline strategies lead to children becoming resilient, emotionally competent adults.

For his innovative work, Doug Noll has been voted as one of the Best Lawyers in America since 2005, by US News & World Report and has been recognized since 2006 as a Northern California Super Lawyer. He is listed in the Who’s Who of International Commercial Mediators. He has been honored as Lawyer of the Year in 2014 by Best Lawyers in America. In 2014, Doug was honored as a Purpose Prize Fellow by Encore.org. In 2018, Doug was named the Distinguished Neutral of the Year by The National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals. Along with his colleague Laurel Kaufer, Doug Noll was named California Attorney of the Year in 2012 for their pro bono Prison of Peace project.

De-Escalate: How to Calm an Angry Person in 90 Seconds or Less will teach you how to calm an angry, upset person of any age while remaining centered and calm. You will also learn how to calm yourself down quickly and efficiently. You will be able to take insults, provocations, and disrespect from others without losing your cool. You will be able to stand in the presence of very strong emotions and say exactly the right thing in exactly the right way in exactly the right moment. In short, you will gain an immense amount of control over your emotional life. You will learn how to solve a problem without anger. This will give you a power you never imagined possible.

De-Escalate: How to Calm an Angry Person in 90 Seconds or Less: Noll, Douglas E.: 0001582706557: Amazon.com: Books

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougnoll/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/doug.noll.52/
https://www.facebook.com/DouglasNoll
Twitter https://twitter.com/dougnoll
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtAHXdBT1Y0Pl7SGrM_HcFw
Pinterest www.pinterest.com/b990204361f85f4a8ac1a25a9a0920

Kaiser Permanente Adverse Childhood Experiences

https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/aces/index.html

Our second guest is Joyce Fields, an author who has combined her passion for writing with her mission to inspire people to make the world a better place. The mother of two sons, eight grandchildren and four great grandchildren shares with us the 12 “ingredients” she says families need to raise great children. The book Her book is Mother’s Dozen: An Easy Recipe for Raising Great Kids, draws upon the values her family has passed down from generation to generation.

Joyce Fields was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. She now resides in Arcadia, California. She has been in love with reading and writing her entire life. She coupled her passion for writing with her mission to inspire people to make the world a better place, resulting in her writing eight books and sharing inspirational messages with various audiences.

Background
Joyce started her career as a stenographer at a major utility company, working her way up through supervisor of word processing, then as the office manager for an automotive advertising agency, and, lastly, as an executive assistant at a large non-profit health maintenance organization. She is also a professional proofreader. She wrote her first book, Line of Serenity, in 1997. Being the oldest of seven, she wanted to capture the way their parents raised them so that the way they did it would not be lost. Many people read the manuscript and told her that she should publish it. The book covers 1944 through 1977 and includes family recipes and photographs. Recipes, because food was–and still is–an important part of her family’s fabric; photographs, so that descendants can see what their ancestors looked like and be amazed to find a resemblance to an ancestor. You do not have to be a family member to enjoy this book! For older readers, it is a walk down memory lane; for younger readers, it provides a peek into the past. Joyce gets her inspiration from living and observing life. In addition to Line of Serenity, she has written books about parenting, which is also available in Spanish, relationships, children’s fiction, children’s non-fiction, bullying, health, spirituality, and the power and simplicity of quotes. One of her quotes was chosen from more than 5,000 entries and appears in the 2013 Women’s Advantage Calendar.

Web site: www.Goodshortbooks.com
E-mail: goodshortbooks@yahoo.com
BLOG: Lineofserenity.wordpress.com
Books on Amazon

The Marshmallow Experiment and the Power of Delayed Gratification (jamesclear.com)

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To learn more about the Adventures with Grammy podcast, or to be a guest, visit adventureswithgrammy.com/podcast

Please subscribe to this podcast!

To sign up for the Adventures with Grammy newsletter, visit https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/7ZleyB4

To learn more about the books, visit adventureswithgrammy.com

To buy the personalized stuffed bears, visit etsy.com/shop/adventureswithgrammy

#grammyadventure
#adventureswithgrammy

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https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtr9e59lIBxSeHJk52jJB3Q

https://linkedin.com/in/adventureswithgrammy

Music:
https://audiojungle.net/user/play_m

Please sign up for my monthly newsletter, which is for grandparents who want to make a positive difference in their
grandchildren’s lives, and for parents who want to ensure that special grandparent bond between their parents and
their children. Articles will give you exclusive content I will not share on social media and a heads-up about events,
products and books I think you will find interesting. To sign up, click here! Let me know your thoughts about the podcast:
carolyn@adventureswithgrammy.com!


Update to the Adventures with Grammy podcast



The Adventures with Grammy podcast is for grandparents who are on-the-go with their grandchildren. It is for grandparents who want loving relationships with their grandchildren and for parents who want their children to enjoy loving relationships across the generations.

This update reflects a few changes I have made to the podcast’s format since I first decided to launch it. Those changes are outlined below.

Each episode will feature guest interviews and three segments:

1. Children’s book reviews and/or interviews with children’s authors;

2. Fun activities to do at home with grandchildren and/or road trip adventures (day, weekend, or week-long) by geographic region; and

3. Memories of Our Grandparents and/or the grandparent experience

 

If you would like to be interviewed for any of the segments, or if you know someone who would like to be interviewed, please contact me at carolyn@adventureswithgrammy.com !

 

Children’s Books and Authors Do you know a children’s book author who would like to be a guest on the Adventures with Grammy podcast? If so, please contact me or ask the author to contact me. What is your favorite children’s book? Which books should I feature?

Fun Travel Adventures will focus on “stealth” learning and early career exploration … key components of academic success and big dreams. Each season will focus on fun, budget-friendly venues (adventures) within a specific region of the United States. Each adventure will highlight activities grandparents, grandchildren, and parents (if they choose to join in the fun) will enjoy!  We will begin on the east coast and travel westward. Fun activities at home include Granny Camp, making butter, and other fun in the kitchen or outdoors!

 

Memories of Our Grandparents

BE A GUEST ON THE PODCAST!

What stands out when you think of your grandparents? What makes (made) them special? If you would like to share your memories of your grandparents, send me an e-mail: carolyn@adventureswithgrammy.com. I then will contact you to set up a time to record your memories and let you know when memories of your grandparents will be shared!

We also will discuss issues and topics of interest to grandparents.


Season One will focus on travel adventures in the Mid-Atlantic region: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia.

Season Two will focus on the South Atlantic region: Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

Season Three will focus on the New England region: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.

Season Four will focus on the East North Central region: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

Season Five will focus on the East South Central region: Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee.

Season Six will focus on the West North Central region: Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota.

Season Seven will focus on the West South Central region: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas.

Season Eight will focus on the North West Mountain region: Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.

Season Nine will focus on the South West Mountain region: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada and Utah.

Season Ten will focus on the Pacific region: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington.


Our hope at Adventures with Grammy LLC is grandparents always will hold special places in their grandchildren’s hearts, and when grandparents are memories grandchildren, even those who were too young to remember each activity they enjoyed with their grandparents, always will remember how much their grandparents loved them.

 


An Introduction to the Adventures with Grammy Podcast



Welcome to the Adventures with Grammy Podcast.

www.adventureswithgrammy.com/podcast

A podcast for grandparents on-the-go with their grandkids!

I am your host, Carolyn Berry

This podcast is for grandparents who want to hold special places in their grandchildren’s hearts and for parents who want to ensure loving relationships across the generations.

I have six reasons for this project: Those reasons are my six grandchildren … Gavin, Cain, Channing, Hunter, Scarlett and Juliet. I want them to dream big!

I am an advocate for travel adventures because I believe these experiences provide children opportunities for “stealth” learning and early career exploration … key components of big dreams.

What do I mean my stealth learning? Learning that takes places when children least expect it! They learn about fractions when baking cookies. They learn about science when baking sourdough bread. They learn about history when visiting a park. The children don’t realize they are learning because they are not sitting at a desk! They are having fun … and the learning sticks.

When our children were young, my late husband and I took them on adventures. History came alive for them … they visited the White House and the Capitol; they saw the grist mill at Mount Vernon and money being printed at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. They learned history, geography and science.

I want to give my grandchildren those same experiences … and I want to help other grandparents do likewise.

How can we expect our grandchildren to dream big if we don’t help them know what is possible for their adult lives?

I am a retired high school teacher. I know first hand the importance of children having a vision for their future. Talking with children as young as five or six years old about their interests and showing them the real world will have a big impact on their education and career goals.

Research shows a direct correlation between high school graduation rates and students who begin to explore career options in earnest during middle school.

One of the adventures my grandchildren and I enjoyed was a visit to a chocolate factory. As we were leaving, one of my grandsons announced he planned to be a chocolatier when he grows up. Until that day he didn’t even know the word chocolatier, or that it was a career!

Another grandson told his brother as they were leaving Dave & Busters that he wanted to work there when he grew up. His brother retorted, “You don’t want to work there, you want to OWN it!”

Adventures definitely give children opportunities to DREAM BIG!

In addition to stealth learning and career exploration, the Adventures with Grammy podcast aims to help grandparents answer three important questions:

1. How do I ensure a special place in my grandchild’s heart?

2. Where can I take my grandchildren that is budget-friendly, fun and educational for all of us?

3. How can I ensure the good times we share will become long-lasting memories my grandchildren will cherish forever?

I have structured the podcasts as seasons. 

Each episode will feature guest interviews and three segments:

1. Children’s book reviews and/or interviews with children’s authors; 

2. Fun activities to do at home with grandchildren and/or road trip adventures (day, weekend, or week-long) by geographic region; and

3. Memories of Our Grandparents

We also will look at the grandparent experience. What is it like to be a grandparent in 2021? How has grandparenting changed since you were a child? How have grandparents changed? What are the expectations for today’s grandparents?

We will discuss the importance of the grandparent-grandchild relationship. What does the research say? How has COVID-19 impacted grandparenting?

How can grandparents influence a child’s education? Why is early career exploration important?

Each of the seasons will focus on a geographic region of the United States and will highlight fun, budget-friendly venues with activities grandparents and grandchildren and parent will enjoy.

We will begin on the east coast and travel westward …

Our hope at Adventures with Grammy LLC is grandparents always will hold special places in their grandchildren’s hearts, and when grandparents are memories grandchildren, even those who were too young to remember each activity they enjoyed with you, always will know how much you loved them.

To learn more, visit adventureswithgrammy.com.

I would appreciate your feedback. Send an e-mail to carolyn@adventureswithgrammy.com or send me a Tweet @grammyadventure.

I hope you enjoyed this introductory episode of the Adventures with Grammy podcast. Please subscribe and share the link with others who would enjoy listening to each week’s episode. By subscribing, you will receive a notice when I upload a new episode. We will begin a regular broadcast schedule January 2021.

Until then … enjoy the upcoming holidays and let your family know how much you love them!