Helping grandparents raising grandchildren

By Karen Best Wright, www.RaisingYourGrandchildren.com

A couple of weeks ago Melanie made the following comment on one of my posts.

I just ran across your site, and I was wondering in your experience if you could answer a question for me? While raising your grandchildren what could someone have done to make it easier or helped you? I was wondering what I could do in my community to try and make life easier for grandparents. It is just an idea as I work in childcare and see a lot of grandparents raising their grandchildren. If you have a moment I would love to hear from you. Thanks for your time

I have given this some thought. What could one person have done that would have made a big difference to me? Simply, if one person had stepped forward and helped me create and run a support group for grandparents raising grandchildren, that would have been extremely helpful.

I had no luck getting a support group started in my area. I called several agencies and schools for support. They all thought it a great idea but had no one willing to help. Even my local social services would only put my flyer up  on their bulletin board. Perhaps living in a rural area like I did might have complicated the problem. I am not sure. But if someone else had been willing to help me start and continue the project, I would have been very grateful.

So Melanie, if you have the energy and interest, see if there is a local grandparents support group that you can give some assistance to or talk with grandparents in this situation and help them start one. I think it is very nice that you are interested in helping others. That is  wonderful.

Comments

[Mike]

Hi! Ok we are not really grandparents raising grandchildren but we are 57 and thinking about adopting two children from foster care. They are 9 and 12 so we could be grandparents. We have raised our own children we are about to have babies but live a long way away. Can you give us your thoughts?

[GLORIA Torres]

Hello!!

To Every one out there, Espeacially to all Grandmothers. I am Grandmother age 53, At this point in life I was laidoff under uniployment. Looking for job. And one day I recieved a phone call from my daughter telling me that my Grandchildrens where taken away from my X-daughter in law.
I went to court. and won custody of all three childrens. two of them are my perteral grandchildren
and one isn't But that ok I love him too. he three years old just a baby. Well now I found my self going doctors, dentist, taking them to school awnsering questions
they totally depend on me. Wow! going the second time around in raising childrens. Is a big job.
Before my grandchildrens came to me. I had sleepless night, stress
ing out from not being able to find job. Now at nite I Pass out.
no time for stressing for job. To
tired too Haa!! I fill I am a better parent today with more patients then in past. Yes it's a
struggle at this point with Money.
I do worry about making sure they have every they need. I try. I am a single Women. I really like to go back to school. I can't seem to find the time. It's hard but you have to make the best of it and be Strong mentally and phyically. alway look at the bright sight of things. find the
time alone for your self. relax your mind close your eye and tell
your self. went I open my eyes every thing is going to be ok and
I going to put on happy face be happy. went I'm Happy the kids are
happy that inportant to me.

Thank you for letting share
thought with all of you.

Gloria Torres
glorybetorre@yahoo.com

[Susan Adcox]

Several of the GRGs that I have met through my website have mentioned belonging to local support groups and how helpful such groups are. An online site such as this one is terrific, but local groups can swap baby equipment, share babysitting and provide concrete help that online groups cannot. Karen, I am proud of you that you are still committed to the cause, and Melanie, anything that you can do to help GRGs would be greatly appreciated.