Some tips for divorced grandparents
by Peggy O'Crowley
Each grandchild will experience your divorce differently -- depending on
their age, how near they live and how close a relationship they have with
you. Don't be surprised if they become upset; you are the foundation of
the family. Reassure them that you and your soon-to-be-ex will still be a
part of their lives.
Try to maintain a good relationship with your children in order to keep
contact with your grandchildren. Don't badmouth your ex-spouse. Try to
work out family differences without forming alliances that can keep you or
your ex-spouse from seeing the grandchildren.
If you are dating or have remarried, be cautious about how to introduce
this new person in your life to your grandchildren. Don't try to force
intimacy too fast; it can take up to seven years before a new spouse is
completely accepted by children. And remember that grandchildren want
you to act like a grandparent, not a suddenly single swinger.
When deciding what to call
a new step-grandparent, it's
wise to bow to the wishes of
the biological grandparent,
unless they are
unreasonable. The
step-grandparent doesn't get
to be called Grandma if
that's the name the original
grandma has.
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