By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Susan_Hoffman]Susan Hoffman
The grandparent-grandchild relationship is supposed to be a whole and separate one, but there are too many external factors that interfere with that notion. For instance, when parents feel threatened fearing their child will love grandma more than them or that grandma loves the grandchild more than them, then that poses a threat to the relationship. The parent's insecurity can set the wheels in motion for future alienation.
Sometimes it's a miscommunication that leads to a family feud or the death of one of the parents. Circumstances are always changing and affecting family dynamics including the ever fragile grandparent-grandchild relationship.
The parents control the relationship between grandparents and grandchildren, that's just the way things are. As long as grandparents don't rock the boat and remain within those designated boundaries set by the parent(s) the relationship has a better chance of survival, but just remember there are no guarantees.
It seems reasonable to assume that more grandparents today are finding themselves alienated from their extended family. Most try to work out the problems without outside intervention, but after all else fails, then litigation is likely to be the next step.
All fifty states have grandparent visitation laws, that are unique unto themselves. There are some common denominators that many share while others stand far apart. Most states, for instance include as the criteria to file a petition for grandparent visitation, that one of the parents is deceased. The other provision is when the parents are divorced or living separately. Another criteria that is gaining ground is the "stepparent adoption" factor. With so many fractured families, as a result of divorce or wedlock many homes are now blended. Whether it's a re-marriage or first time marriage the stepparent frequently adopts the children, and when this happens there are consequences to the relationship between the child and bio grandparent. About half of the states have statutes that provide grandparents standing in court to file a petition for visitation following a stepparent adoption. If there has been a pre-exisiting bond, the adoption should not cut off that relationship. However, in the remaining states grandparents lose their rights along with the parent whose rights were terminated. There are only a few states that allow grandparents the right to petition the court while the biological parents are together.
What is perplexing is that the parents' marital status is the determining factor in granting visitation and drafting laws.
So why is a grandparent able to get into court when the parents are divorced but not when they are married? Or when there has been a stepparent adoption, a grandparent frequently may file a petition. It's worth mentioning that in reality the stepparent adoption family is no different than the intact family because the stepparent is the new parent. None of this makes sense, the child and the grandparent still have a bond no matter if the parents are apart or together.
It seems that something is amiss when an established bond between a child and a loving grandparent takes a back seat to the marital status of the parents when determining whether the relationship is allowed to continue.
Susan Hoffman is the author of the book, GRAND WISHES: Advocating To Preserve The Grandparent Grandchild Bond, isbn: 978-0-9799168-0-9. The purpose of the book is to raise awareness about the growing social problem of denied grandparent grandchild access as well as a resource for disenfranchised grandparents. Proceeds from the sale of the book will be donated to the non profit organization, Advocates For Grandparent Grandchild Connection, of which Susan Hoffman is the creator and director. http://www.grandparentchildconnect.org
The follow up book, A PRECIOUS BOND, is now available.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Marital-Status-Determines-Grandparent-Access&id=6657333] Marital Status Determines Grandparent Access
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Sunday, February 26, 2012
A Precious Bond: How to Preserve the Grandparent-Grandchild Relationship
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Susan_Hoffman]Susan Hoffman
What is common knowledge is that grandparents are of vital importance to a child's life; what isn't common is that they are sometimes 'unreasonably' ripped away from a child's life by the custodial parent.
It's time for grandparents to put a stop to this social injustice about the way children are treated like property and the role of grandparenthood is no longer honored or respected. Children cannot speak for themselves, so somebody has to. No voice no choice as the saying goes. Children do not get to choose who they may love and their feelings are disregarded when attachments are broken, which could be considered a form of emotional abuse.
It's up to grandparents, then to figure out how to remain connected to grandchildren so the child reaps the benefits of a long and prosperous relationship.
Grandparents may need to take the responsibility to head off problems before they surface but also right the wrongs that have created denied visitation.
Grandparents sometimes need to be educated about what exactly they can do to right the wrongs that threaten the grandparent-grandchild relationship. The first lesson can be a hard pill to swallow because it involves changing their behavior rather than expecting the parents to change theirs.
When grandparents remain focused on their primary purpose which is keeping the grandchild in their life, the changes will come about perhaps with a little less internal conflict that change often brings about. It won't be easy, but things that matter never are.
Below are a few helpful guidelines for grandparents who are confused about which way to turn.
Change your behavior not theirs. The only way to achieve a different outcome is to change your own behavior.
Assume the 'you and me' rather than 'you or me' position. It's much easier to come to an agreement with someone when you are on the same side.
Learn how to go along in order to get along. Presenting oneself as agreeable, rather than aggressive and domineering makes life so much easier for everyone.
Recognize the red flags. Pay attention to subtle behaviors, such as excuses, that have the potential to escalate.
Take action to re-connect. Don't just stand by and do nothing if you find yourself suddenly alienated from your grandchild.
Remain neutral and non-threatening. Don't give advice and keep opinions to yourself.
Remove all expectations. Parents are busy and so are kids, don't expect them to accommodate your schedule, instead be grateful for any time that you are given.
Don't take things personal. When others lash out it really has nothing to do with us.
Adopt preventative measures. Respect parental boundaries and follow their rules which can divert problems before they escalate.
Focus on being happy rather than being right. You will be much happier remaining connected to your grandchild if you lose the need to always be right.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?A-Precious-Bond:-How-to-Preserve-the-Grandparent-Grandchild-Relationship&id=6605052] A Precious Bond: How to Preserve the Grandparent-Grandchild Relationship
What is common knowledge is that grandparents are of vital importance to a child's life; what isn't common is that they are sometimes 'unreasonably' ripped away from a child's life by the custodial parent.
It's time for grandparents to put a stop to this social injustice about the way children are treated like property and the role of grandparenthood is no longer honored or respected. Children cannot speak for themselves, so somebody has to. No voice no choice as the saying goes. Children do not get to choose who they may love and their feelings are disregarded when attachments are broken, which could be considered a form of emotional abuse.
It's up to grandparents, then to figure out how to remain connected to grandchildren so the child reaps the benefits of a long and prosperous relationship.
Grandparents may need to take the responsibility to head off problems before they surface but also right the wrongs that have created denied visitation.
Grandparents sometimes need to be educated about what exactly they can do to right the wrongs that threaten the grandparent-grandchild relationship. The first lesson can be a hard pill to swallow because it involves changing their behavior rather than expecting the parents to change theirs.
When grandparents remain focused on their primary purpose which is keeping the grandchild in their life, the changes will come about perhaps with a little less internal conflict that change often brings about. It won't be easy, but things that matter never are.
Below are a few helpful guidelines for grandparents who are confused about which way to turn.
Change your behavior not theirs. The only way to achieve a different outcome is to change your own behavior.
Assume the 'you and me' rather than 'you or me' position. It's much easier to come to an agreement with someone when you are on the same side.
Learn how to go along in order to get along. Presenting oneself as agreeable, rather than aggressive and domineering makes life so much easier for everyone.
Recognize the red flags. Pay attention to subtle behaviors, such as excuses, that have the potential to escalate.
Take action to re-connect. Don't just stand by and do nothing if you find yourself suddenly alienated from your grandchild.
Remain neutral and non-threatening. Don't give advice and keep opinions to yourself.
Remove all expectations. Parents are busy and so are kids, don't expect them to accommodate your schedule, instead be grateful for any time that you are given.
Don't take things personal. When others lash out it really has nothing to do with us.
Adopt preventative measures. Respect parental boundaries and follow their rules which can divert problems before they escalate.
Focus on being happy rather than being right. You will be much happier remaining connected to your grandchild if you lose the need to always be right.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?A-Precious-Bond:-How-to-Preserve-the-Grandparent-Grandchild-Relationship&id=6605052] A Precious Bond: How to Preserve the Grandparent-Grandchild Relationship
Saturday, February 25, 2012
How To Be Smart About Your Grandparents Rights
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Charles_N_Taft]Charles N Taft
The way we approach our Grandparents Rights will probably be even more important than the rights themselves. Depending on the circumstances the "sneak up on the grandparents rights approach" is, in my opinion, the best way to maximize our chances of being with our grandchildren. If you make being right your main objective the outcome may be far less effective, especially for the grandchildren. My best friend once ask me "How much do you want to pay to be right?", now that is a good question. Actually, when it comes to Grandparent rights I think it is an excellent question.
My past three years of research in preparation to write my book brought me to the realization that there is not and won't be a definitive answer to the all the questions that are raised when it comes to families in crisis.
Between what has been written in The Constitution, the Supreme Court decision (Troxel v.Granville, June, 2000), and the variations in state by state laws that try to address these issues, there is little hope that anything like clear and decisive law will emerge in the coming century. It will be progress just to get some clarifications that will actually help our grandchildren, but unfortunately, they will come slow and hard state by state.
It would be fair for you to ask why I say that. There was an attempt by a congressional committee to try to form a unified federal law having to do with Grandparents Rights. The issue had so many challenges that the committee dissolved with no solution. Having read the 10 feasibility questions facing the committee I have a better understanding of just how complicated all of this is. I want to be clear, just because it is complicated that does NOT mean we shouldn't try. We should and must keep fighting for Grandparents rights in every state in the land. What I am saying is that in the mean time there may be a better way to get the results we want.
This brings us to the Smart part of Grandparenting. I wish to approach this idea not with Do's and Don'ts but rather by posing questions we should ask ourselves each time we pick up the phone or walk in the door of the home of our grandchildren.
Who is the most important person in the triangle of Grandchild-Grandparent-Parent?
Is the past more important than the present?
To repeat; How much do you want to pay to be right?
What is your goal in this relationship? "The main thing is to keep the main thing, the main thing".
Who's best interest is this all about?
rel=nofollow [http://www.caringgrandparents.com/uncategorized/some-of-why-i-wrote-my-book-no-greater-loss]What do you know about your Grandparents Rights?
Please, please consider each of these questions EVERY time you have interaction with your grandkids and their parent(s). You would be amazed at the misunderstandings that occur from an even well intentioned, mis-placed question or comment that given some sensitivity could have been posed differently or not at all.
My hope for each of you is Great-Grandparenting
I am a 67 year old proud grandpa that has taken up the mantle of making everything about "the well being of the grandchildren". I write a blog, http://www.CaringGrandparents.com as a way of communicating the power and influence that we can have with our grandkids, hopefully, in concert with their parents. This is not about taking away but about adding to the parents rights and responsibility to raise loving and lovable children. The objective is more love for all, especially the children.
There are some sad and tragic stories out there. So I challenge all of us to be part of the solution. With the divorce rate havering around 50% a divided family unit is a possibility, we need to learn how we can help rather than hinder this process should this happen in our family.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?How-To-Be-Smart-About-Your-Grandparents-Rights&id=6684659] How To Be Smart About Your Grandparents Rights
The way we approach our Grandparents Rights will probably be even more important than the rights themselves. Depending on the circumstances the "sneak up on the grandparents rights approach" is, in my opinion, the best way to maximize our chances of being with our grandchildren. If you make being right your main objective the outcome may be far less effective, especially for the grandchildren. My best friend once ask me "How much do you want to pay to be right?", now that is a good question. Actually, when it comes to Grandparent rights I think it is an excellent question.
My past three years of research in preparation to write my book brought me to the realization that there is not and won't be a definitive answer to the all the questions that are raised when it comes to families in crisis.
Between what has been written in The Constitution, the Supreme Court decision (Troxel v.Granville, June, 2000), and the variations in state by state laws that try to address these issues, there is little hope that anything like clear and decisive law will emerge in the coming century. It will be progress just to get some clarifications that will actually help our grandchildren, but unfortunately, they will come slow and hard state by state.
It would be fair for you to ask why I say that. There was an attempt by a congressional committee to try to form a unified federal law having to do with Grandparents Rights. The issue had so many challenges that the committee dissolved with no solution. Having read the 10 feasibility questions facing the committee I have a better understanding of just how complicated all of this is. I want to be clear, just because it is complicated that does NOT mean we shouldn't try. We should and must keep fighting for Grandparents rights in every state in the land. What I am saying is that in the mean time there may be a better way to get the results we want.
This brings us to the Smart part of Grandparenting. I wish to approach this idea not with Do's and Don'ts but rather by posing questions we should ask ourselves each time we pick up the phone or walk in the door of the home of our grandchildren.
Who is the most important person in the triangle of Grandchild-Grandparent-Parent?
Is the past more important than the present?
To repeat; How much do you want to pay to be right?
What is your goal in this relationship? "The main thing is to keep the main thing, the main thing".
Who's best interest is this all about?
rel=nofollow [http://www.caringgrandparents.com/uncategorized/some-of-why-i-wrote-my-book-no-greater-loss]What do you know about your Grandparents Rights?
Please, please consider each of these questions EVERY time you have interaction with your grandkids and their parent(s). You would be amazed at the misunderstandings that occur from an even well intentioned, mis-placed question or comment that given some sensitivity could have been posed differently or not at all.
My hope for each of you is Great-Grandparenting
I am a 67 year old proud grandpa that has taken up the mantle of making everything about "the well being of the grandchildren". I write a blog, http://www.CaringGrandparents.com as a way of communicating the power and influence that we can have with our grandkids, hopefully, in concert with their parents. This is not about taking away but about adding to the parents rights and responsibility to raise loving and lovable children. The objective is more love for all, especially the children.
There are some sad and tragic stories out there. So I challenge all of us to be part of the solution. With the divorce rate havering around 50% a divided family unit is a possibility, we need to learn how we can help rather than hinder this process should this happen in our family.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?How-To-Be-Smart-About-Your-Grandparents-Rights&id=6684659] How To Be Smart About Your Grandparents Rights
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Keeping Grandchildren Occupied at Christmas
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Dirk_Grover]Dirk Grover
Christmas may be the wrong time of the year for garden activities but that need not stop a little innovation to see what can be done indoors. Whilst the swings and other activities that are suitable for the garden cannot be emulated inside the house there are nevertheless various challenges to be faced by children visiting their grandfather over the holiday.
The simplest that we use is the plank of wood propped on its side and wedged in the door to give a challenge of balancing on its edge. It is important to realise that the leverage you can apply to the door can damage the hinges but with a sensible amount of pressure a plank can be made secure enough to bear the weight of a child. The difficulty can be increased by raising one end on some books to add a slope to the balancing act.
Whilst dealing with the door our push of unequals contest can be used to test grandfather's strength against junior's. Since junior can have the advantage of leverage by pushing the door shut at the handle end, grandfather must be handicapped by pushing nearer the hinge. It makes the contest more equal and there need be no subterfuge by pretending to be weaker than junior.
Our tug of unequals is also simply implemented in the home. By using pulleys and attaching one end to the door handle a form of tug of war ensues. It is advisable to make the pull at right angles to the handle since it offers a stronger fixture against the pull of the rope. The danger of pulling the screws out with a straight pull is averted. Needless to say we make sure the handle is firmly fixed.
The seesaw is another activity that is possible indoors. We have drilled a plank so that it can take fixtures such as a small pole at its centre and this can be rested on a two piles of (old) books or the rungs of a chair. Other possibilities will doubtless occur to the reader.
Since many of our activities are designed to be hung from a tree or roof of a car port they are not suitable for use indoors. Little challenges for toddlers nevertheless can be constructed simply. Our wobbly walk is easy since it only involves plank of wood and a cushion or two. The same applies to the tiplank which can be implemented with one of the old books used for the seesaw. Your grandchildren will enjoy devising other ways of using simple objects to occupy themselves.
Dirk is a father of 3 and a grandfather of 5. He has been devising various ways of using simple equipment to amuse children and save money into the bargain.
His web site is [http://www.gardenplayground.info]http://www.gardenplayground.info.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Keeping-Grandchildren-Occupied-at-Christmas&id=6731834] Keeping Grandchildren Occupied at Christmas
Christmas may be the wrong time of the year for garden activities but that need not stop a little innovation to see what can be done indoors. Whilst the swings and other activities that are suitable for the garden cannot be emulated inside the house there are nevertheless various challenges to be faced by children visiting their grandfather over the holiday.
The simplest that we use is the plank of wood propped on its side and wedged in the door to give a challenge of balancing on its edge. It is important to realise that the leverage you can apply to the door can damage the hinges but with a sensible amount of pressure a plank can be made secure enough to bear the weight of a child. The difficulty can be increased by raising one end on some books to add a slope to the balancing act.
Whilst dealing with the door our push of unequals contest can be used to test grandfather's strength against junior's. Since junior can have the advantage of leverage by pushing the door shut at the handle end, grandfather must be handicapped by pushing nearer the hinge. It makes the contest more equal and there need be no subterfuge by pretending to be weaker than junior.
Our tug of unequals is also simply implemented in the home. By using pulleys and attaching one end to the door handle a form of tug of war ensues. It is advisable to make the pull at right angles to the handle since it offers a stronger fixture against the pull of the rope. The danger of pulling the screws out with a straight pull is averted. Needless to say we make sure the handle is firmly fixed.
The seesaw is another activity that is possible indoors. We have drilled a plank so that it can take fixtures such as a small pole at its centre and this can be rested on a two piles of (old) books or the rungs of a chair. Other possibilities will doubtless occur to the reader.
Since many of our activities are designed to be hung from a tree or roof of a car port they are not suitable for use indoors. Little challenges for toddlers nevertheless can be constructed simply. Our wobbly walk is easy since it only involves plank of wood and a cushion or two. The same applies to the tiplank which can be implemented with one of the old books used for the seesaw. Your grandchildren will enjoy devising other ways of using simple objects to occupy themselves.
Dirk is a father of 3 and a grandfather of 5. He has been devising various ways of using simple equipment to amuse children and save money into the bargain.
His web site is [http://www.gardenplayground.info]http://www.gardenplayground.info.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Keeping-Grandchildren-Occupied-at-Christmas&id=6731834] Keeping Grandchildren Occupied at Christmas
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
How Many Ways Can You Use Snow to Occupy Your Grandchildren?
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Dirk_Grover]Dirk Grover
We are preparing for the visit of our grandchildren over Christmas by devising physical activities they can enjoy if it snows. I have to confess a certain interest in this since these methods are designed to use up their energy out of doors rather than running madly around the house. In the summer they can use the various games we have devised in the garden using common objects like a plank of wood, rope and poles or even old car tyres. the problem is that most of these need to be in the garden rather than in the house when the weather is bad.
Snow is of course a boon for skiing or tobogganing if you have a suitable slope. Talking of slopes our grandson expects to be pulled up the slope after he has tobogganed down it. It does get quite tiring and as we get older we would like to take it a bit easier. Our tug of unequals suggested the answer. By using a pulley and tying the end of a tow rope to a tree we could halve the effort required to pull him up the slope. This meant that our other children could do the job equally well. Of course they had to walk twice as far but I am in favour of youngsters using up their energy in constructive ways.
Since it is quite a walk to the nearest suitable slope we have turned our attention to devising winter activities in the garden. Our obstacle course involving planks of wood and aerial runways has been turned into a winter version requiring surmounting mounds of snow and the gulleys between them. The slide can be mounted on a mound of snow to give the slope required and an aerial runway can carry them over the mounds we clear from the path.
The reader may realise that there is a hidden benefit for us since we expect our grandchildren to help prepare these activities and if this involves clearing the snow from the path then we have a ready supply of snow we cab use in the construction.
I have been wondering whether we can use the old car tyres in some way. One thought is to mount several on top of each other which can be filled with snow to give the basis of a snowman. If we tamp down the snow inside perhaps we could then remove the tyres one at a time and leave a column of compact snow for our snowman, we will have to report on this later!
Dirk is a father of 3 and a grandfather of 5. He has been devising various ways of using simple equipment to amuse children and save money into the bargain. His web site is http://www.gardenplayground.info
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?How-Many-Ways-Can-You-Use-Snow-to-Occupy-Your-Grandchildren?&id=6731823] How Many Ways Can You Use Snow to Occupy Your Grandchildren?
We are preparing for the visit of our grandchildren over Christmas by devising physical activities they can enjoy if it snows. I have to confess a certain interest in this since these methods are designed to use up their energy out of doors rather than running madly around the house. In the summer they can use the various games we have devised in the garden using common objects like a plank of wood, rope and poles or even old car tyres. the problem is that most of these need to be in the garden rather than in the house when the weather is bad.
Snow is of course a boon for skiing or tobogganing if you have a suitable slope. Talking of slopes our grandson expects to be pulled up the slope after he has tobogganed down it. It does get quite tiring and as we get older we would like to take it a bit easier. Our tug of unequals suggested the answer. By using a pulley and tying the end of a tow rope to a tree we could halve the effort required to pull him up the slope. This meant that our other children could do the job equally well. Of course they had to walk twice as far but I am in favour of youngsters using up their energy in constructive ways.
Since it is quite a walk to the nearest suitable slope we have turned our attention to devising winter activities in the garden. Our obstacle course involving planks of wood and aerial runways has been turned into a winter version requiring surmounting mounds of snow and the gulleys between them. The slide can be mounted on a mound of snow to give the slope required and an aerial runway can carry them over the mounds we clear from the path.
The reader may realise that there is a hidden benefit for us since we expect our grandchildren to help prepare these activities and if this involves clearing the snow from the path then we have a ready supply of snow we cab use in the construction.
I have been wondering whether we can use the old car tyres in some way. One thought is to mount several on top of each other which can be filled with snow to give the basis of a snowman. If we tamp down the snow inside perhaps we could then remove the tyres one at a time and leave a column of compact snow for our snowman, we will have to report on this later!
Dirk is a father of 3 and a grandfather of 5. He has been devising various ways of using simple equipment to amuse children and save money into the bargain. His web site is http://www.gardenplayground.info
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?How-Many-Ways-Can-You-Use-Snow-to-Occupy-Your-Grandchildren?&id=6731823] How Many Ways Can You Use Snow to Occupy Your Grandchildren?
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Grandparents Can Help Blended Families Create A Good Mix During The Holidays
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Sunie_Levin]Sunie Levin
"You can't tell me what to do," Josh smugly announced. "You are not my real grandfather." Art, his step grandfather, was hurt and shocked and furious. But he kept his cool. He thought he and his wife got along well with his daughter-in-law's children from a previous marriage." But he didn't. He nearly bit his tongue in two to keep from saying what he wanted to say. Instead, he suggested to his daughter-in-law that Josh and he have a talk about grand children and grandparents and what the entire situation meant for all of them.
Family life for many has been altered by divorce, interfaith marriage and separation by distance. Get togethers and holidays rarely prove joyful times as depicted by the Brady's on T.V. More often, as families blend, it produces stress all around. It can be difficult for children in a new family especially when they have been comfortable with rituals and customs that were repeated year after year in their in their former home.
Stepbrothers and stepsisters are strangers, at the beginning. It takes time for them to get to know each other, and everyone is touchy. Rivalry between children of the two families is always either open or lurking below the surface. everyone keeps score, and some feel they are losing.
The very rituals that each family brings along with them can become an exciting experience. Here's where grandparents can come in, big time. Grandparents, obviously aren't the parents, so they have a different status, a different aura. They can help in the melding process by exploring the different family traditions and pointing out how great they are and by exploring the different family traditions and pointing out how great they are by having two different sets it enhances the holiday experience for everybody.
When there are two different religious cultures involved clearly this can be a minefield, but grandparents can, if they are of a mind to, help the kids see the good points of each faith and that the religions are not adversaries, but rather complementary.
Clearly, it's important to learn what the parents feel and how they would prefer to deal with the holiday season. Perhaps they would prefer that gifts for one set of kids be wrapped in Christmas paper and Hanukkah wrappings for the other set.
So, specifically, what can you do as a grandparent? In addition to being caring and insightful, here are a few thought--small things, perhaps, but very useful to start building new traditions for the blended family:
1. Bake Christmas and Hanukkah cookies, decorating them colored sugars and candies
2. Begin a scrapbook for the new blended family with baby pictures of each child and keep it updated with added snapshots.
3. Each child shares a favorite recipe and provide copies for everyone
4. Sing holiday songs that are special to each family can become an annual tradition
5. Playing games can be a fun and bonding experience
6. Making holiday decorations that can be put up in the house or on the tree
7. Be extremely mindful of equity in giving gifts for children: believe me they notice
8. Have them join in gathering toys and food to help families in need
Grandparents usually are especially good at story telling. of story telling. Share what it was like at holiday time when you were young. Encourage each child to share a story of what they enjoyed most for holidays. You don't have to do things a certain way although it should be some combination of old traditions with new. Be particularly sensitive to anyone for whom this may be their first holiday together. Be patient. It takes time for the new blended situation to have the feel of one single family. Grandparents can be extremely helpful in the process, but they need to be mindful of the sensitivities of the situation. With luck, it won't be all that long before rude Josh starts calling you 'Gramps.
Sunie Levin holds degrees in psychology and education. She has lectured and held workshops around the country, appeared on national T.V. and radio. Her books on grand parenting, as well as Make New Friends Live Longer are available at amazon.com and http://www.makenewfriendslivelonger.com
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Grandparents-Can-Help-Blended-Families-Create-A-Good-Mix-During-The-Holidays&id=6752214] Grandparents Can Help Blended Families Create A Good Mix During The Holidays
"You can't tell me what to do," Josh smugly announced. "You are not my real grandfather." Art, his step grandfather, was hurt and shocked and furious. But he kept his cool. He thought he and his wife got along well with his daughter-in-law's children from a previous marriage." But he didn't. He nearly bit his tongue in two to keep from saying what he wanted to say. Instead, he suggested to his daughter-in-law that Josh and he have a talk about grand children and grandparents and what the entire situation meant for all of them.
Family life for many has been altered by divorce, interfaith marriage and separation by distance. Get togethers and holidays rarely prove joyful times as depicted by the Brady's on T.V. More often, as families blend, it produces stress all around. It can be difficult for children in a new family especially when they have been comfortable with rituals and customs that were repeated year after year in their in their former home.
Stepbrothers and stepsisters are strangers, at the beginning. It takes time for them to get to know each other, and everyone is touchy. Rivalry between children of the two families is always either open or lurking below the surface. everyone keeps score, and some feel they are losing.
The very rituals that each family brings along with them can become an exciting experience. Here's where grandparents can come in, big time. Grandparents, obviously aren't the parents, so they have a different status, a different aura. They can help in the melding process by exploring the different family traditions and pointing out how great they are and by exploring the different family traditions and pointing out how great they are by having two different sets it enhances the holiday experience for everybody.
When there are two different religious cultures involved clearly this can be a minefield, but grandparents can, if they are of a mind to, help the kids see the good points of each faith and that the religions are not adversaries, but rather complementary.
Clearly, it's important to learn what the parents feel and how they would prefer to deal with the holiday season. Perhaps they would prefer that gifts for one set of kids be wrapped in Christmas paper and Hanukkah wrappings for the other set.
So, specifically, what can you do as a grandparent? In addition to being caring and insightful, here are a few thought--small things, perhaps, but very useful to start building new traditions for the blended family:
1. Bake Christmas and Hanukkah cookies, decorating them colored sugars and candies
2. Begin a scrapbook for the new blended family with baby pictures of each child and keep it updated with added snapshots.
3. Each child shares a favorite recipe and provide copies for everyone
4. Sing holiday songs that are special to each family can become an annual tradition
5. Playing games can be a fun and bonding experience
6. Making holiday decorations that can be put up in the house or on the tree
7. Be extremely mindful of equity in giving gifts for children: believe me they notice
8. Have them join in gathering toys and food to help families in need
Grandparents usually are especially good at story telling. of story telling. Share what it was like at holiday time when you were young. Encourage each child to share a story of what they enjoyed most for holidays. You don't have to do things a certain way although it should be some combination of old traditions with new. Be particularly sensitive to anyone for whom this may be their first holiday together. Be patient. It takes time for the new blended situation to have the feel of one single family. Grandparents can be extremely helpful in the process, but they need to be mindful of the sensitivities of the situation. With luck, it won't be all that long before rude Josh starts calling you 'Gramps.
Sunie Levin holds degrees in psychology and education. She has lectured and held workshops around the country, appeared on national T.V. and radio. Her books on grand parenting, as well as Make New Friends Live Longer are available at amazon.com and http://www.makenewfriendslivelonger.com
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Grandparents-Can-Help-Blended-Families-Create-A-Good-Mix-During-The-Holidays&id=6752214] Grandparents Can Help Blended Families Create A Good Mix During The Holidays
Friday, February 17, 2012
A Grandparent's Mystery Gift
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Lyn_J_Rayner]Lyn J Rayner
As grandparents we love to spoil our grandchildren no matter whether they are tots or teens. The problem is we never know what to buy them, and end up giving them money. Or sometimes we will give them something that may seem precious to us, but at their age to them its something old and worn. They really haven't learned the value of a gift from the heart yet.
Then many years later they end up with so few treasures to help them relate to special moments that they had with their grandparents. Of course there are photos which are wonderful for this, but most often photos create memories of who the grandparents were on the whole, and don't lock in any real special one on one memories.
All too often on a grandchild's wedding day they have to celebrate this wonderful occasion without one or both of the grandparent's enjoying it with them, because they have passed away. It creates a little bit of sadness on what is otherwise a most memorable occasion for the grandchild.
Then there is that special moment where the grown grandchildren now take their place in the world as parents. Once again often their memories will wander back to the memory of those very special people in their lives, who may no longer be with them. They truly wish that their children could have shared some of the love and special meaning in their lives as they did with you as their grandparents.
Finally, hopefully the day comes that they too will take on the role of grandparents and they will now see the world from your eyes as they take on this responsibility.
There is something very special that you can give your grandchildren that will bring your memory even closer to them at any one of these most special moments. There is a way that you can preserve special memories way beyond what a photograph could ever do. Its called the grandparent's time capsule and its unique and almost has a mystery to it. It has a way of providing comfort through the years even though it remains sealed. Its almost like knowing you are really there if they truly need you even though you have left this world a long time ago.
Building a grandparent's time capsule with your grandchildren is a wonderful experience, and you can be sure it is going to bring great joy now as well as in the future.
If you would like to find out more about the grandparent's time capsule and how to make one then be sure to visit [http://www.sweetiepiebaby.com]http://www.sweetiepiebaby.com. You will also find some great resources and information at http://www.livinglifearticles.com
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?A-Grandparents-Mystery-Gift&id=6347899] A Grandparent's Mystery Gift
As grandparents we love to spoil our grandchildren no matter whether they are tots or teens. The problem is we never know what to buy them, and end up giving them money. Or sometimes we will give them something that may seem precious to us, but at their age to them its something old and worn. They really haven't learned the value of a gift from the heart yet.
Then many years later they end up with so few treasures to help them relate to special moments that they had with their grandparents. Of course there are photos which are wonderful for this, but most often photos create memories of who the grandparents were on the whole, and don't lock in any real special one on one memories.
All too often on a grandchild's wedding day they have to celebrate this wonderful occasion without one or both of the grandparent's enjoying it with them, because they have passed away. It creates a little bit of sadness on what is otherwise a most memorable occasion for the grandchild.
Then there is that special moment where the grown grandchildren now take their place in the world as parents. Once again often their memories will wander back to the memory of those very special people in their lives, who may no longer be with them. They truly wish that their children could have shared some of the love and special meaning in their lives as they did with you as their grandparents.
Finally, hopefully the day comes that they too will take on the role of grandparents and they will now see the world from your eyes as they take on this responsibility.
There is something very special that you can give your grandchildren that will bring your memory even closer to them at any one of these most special moments. There is a way that you can preserve special memories way beyond what a photograph could ever do. Its called the grandparent's time capsule and its unique and almost has a mystery to it. It has a way of providing comfort through the years even though it remains sealed. Its almost like knowing you are really there if they truly need you even though you have left this world a long time ago.
Building a grandparent's time capsule with your grandchildren is a wonderful experience, and you can be sure it is going to bring great joy now as well as in the future.
If you would like to find out more about the grandparent's time capsule and how to make one then be sure to visit [http://www.sweetiepiebaby.com]http://www.sweetiepiebaby.com. You will also find some great resources and information at http://www.livinglifearticles.com
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?A-Grandparents-Mystery-Gift&id=6347899] A Grandparent's Mystery Gift
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
The Role Grandparents Play in Raising Children
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Linda_C_Meredith]Linda C Meredith
Grandparenting has changed since I grew up in the 50's and 60's. When I was a child, Grandma's house was where you went for holidays, or 2 weeks in the summer, (my cousin and I would do this 2 or 3 times during the summer.)
Christmas was especially great. I had 5 aunts and loads of cousins. The house was always full and noisy, but nobody seemed to mind. The kitchen was filled with women cooking, but they never seemed to get in each other's way. Grandma was at her best when she was surrounded by her brood.
How times have changed. When I was a child we stayed at Grandma's house because we wanted to. Grandparents play a very different role today than they did a few years ago. Now, if Grandma is one of the ever decreasing number of grandmothers that does not work outside of the home, she may be the caretaker while the parents work.
The structure of the family has changed drastically over the past few years. There are more single parent households, more families moving back in with grandparents due to finances or other difficulties, and more grandchildren moving in with grandparents due to addictions the parents may have.
This places the grandparents in a role most of us didn't anticipate when we were raising our children. Grandparents are having to take a more active role in raising their grandchildren. With most households having both parents working, it falls more and more to the grandparents to take an active role in parenting their grandchildren.
Very often, children spend more waking hours with their grandparents than they do with their parents. Instead of getting to spend weekends and time during summers with the grandchildren, now many grandparents are responsible for getting them to and from school and other activities, feeding them, helping with homework and other responsibilities that used to fall to parents.
The children that have grandparents that live close enough to fall into this role are blessed indeed. While most grandparents would probably rather have it the way it was when they were grandchildren there are advantages to the role society has given us now. Our children are learning to be parents with all the trials and lessons we had to go through raising them. We've been there and done that so just maybe we can be a very positive influence in helping to raise this next generation. Let's hope so.
Now if we can just learn to play video games and text we'll have it all under control.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Role-Grandparents-Play-in-Raising-Children&id=6410336] The Role Grandparents Play in Raising Children
Grandparenting has changed since I grew up in the 50's and 60's. When I was a child, Grandma's house was where you went for holidays, or 2 weeks in the summer, (my cousin and I would do this 2 or 3 times during the summer.)
Christmas was especially great. I had 5 aunts and loads of cousins. The house was always full and noisy, but nobody seemed to mind. The kitchen was filled with women cooking, but they never seemed to get in each other's way. Grandma was at her best when she was surrounded by her brood.
How times have changed. When I was a child we stayed at Grandma's house because we wanted to. Grandparents play a very different role today than they did a few years ago. Now, if Grandma is one of the ever decreasing number of grandmothers that does not work outside of the home, she may be the caretaker while the parents work.
The structure of the family has changed drastically over the past few years. There are more single parent households, more families moving back in with grandparents due to finances or other difficulties, and more grandchildren moving in with grandparents due to addictions the parents may have.
This places the grandparents in a role most of us didn't anticipate when we were raising our children. Grandparents are having to take a more active role in raising their grandchildren. With most households having both parents working, it falls more and more to the grandparents to take an active role in parenting their grandchildren.
Very often, children spend more waking hours with their grandparents than they do with their parents. Instead of getting to spend weekends and time during summers with the grandchildren, now many grandparents are responsible for getting them to and from school and other activities, feeding them, helping with homework and other responsibilities that used to fall to parents.
The children that have grandparents that live close enough to fall into this role are blessed indeed. While most grandparents would probably rather have it the way it was when they were grandchildren there are advantages to the role society has given us now. Our children are learning to be parents with all the trials and lessons we had to go through raising them. We've been there and done that so just maybe we can be a very positive influence in helping to raise this next generation. Let's hope so.
Now if we can just learn to play video games and text we'll have it all under control.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Role-Grandparents-Play-in-Raising-Children&id=6410336] The Role Grandparents Play in Raising Children
Monday, February 13, 2012
The Changing Role of Grandparents in Today's Society
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Linda_C_Meredith]Linda C Meredith
Almost 5 million children under the age of 18 are being raised by grandparents.
An increasing number of grandchildren rely on their grandparents for food, shelter, clothing and emotional support. For these grandparents, raising another family wasn't part of the plan. They were looking forward to retirement, hobbies, travel or just taking it easy.
Many of these grandparents are in their 50's and 60's, and facing health problems that often come with getting older. For some, starting over with children means the retirement they were looking forward to won't happen for several more years.
What about the financial stress? Most of us didn't include raising children when we were budgeting for our senior years. There are programs that provide financial assistance at the state level, 'if you qualify'.
For some this is a hard avenue to take even if they qualify. We've worked and taken care of our responsibilities for years and now the thought of public assistance is a hard pill to swallow..
It doesn't seem fair to now have to be the disciplinarian instead of the one who gets to spoil these children, but what are the alternatives? If it wasn't for the grandparents stepping up and taking responsibility, most of these children would end of in foster care and where there are two or more they are very often separated.
There is a wealth of information on the web. You can start by searching the sites for your local state, county or city. Also there are senior associations that have some valuable information. Many churches offer help and there are support groups available.You can go to your search engine and type in keywords that will take you to informational sites. Some suggestions would be grandparents, parenting grandchildren, extended family, raising grandchildren--these are just a few suggestions.
If you go through your search engine, a good suggestion would be to bookmark the search engine results page and then go back and click on each site. You can save the ones that appear to be relevant to your situation by bookmarking them.
When you have saved several sites, then go back and study each one and take note of the information that addresses your situation. This may seem time consuming and it is but it will be worth it in the end.
Also look for blogs. I found several good ones by using two searches. In your search engine type in grandparenting/blog for one and raising grandchildren/blog for another. Both will get you excellent results.
Finally, I want to offer one very good piece of advice that was given to me by a very dear friend. Take care of yourself. Set aside some me time each day to just relax, read, soak in a warm bath, take a long walk or whatever it takes to keep your stress level down. You have to stay healthy to accomplish this task.
Good luck and God bless
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Changing-Role-of-Grandparents-in-Todays-Society&id=6410159] The Changing Role of Grandparents in Today's Society
Almost 5 million children under the age of 18 are being raised by grandparents.
An increasing number of grandchildren rely on their grandparents for food, shelter, clothing and emotional support. For these grandparents, raising another family wasn't part of the plan. They were looking forward to retirement, hobbies, travel or just taking it easy.
Many of these grandparents are in their 50's and 60's, and facing health problems that often come with getting older. For some, starting over with children means the retirement they were looking forward to won't happen for several more years.
What about the financial stress? Most of us didn't include raising children when we were budgeting for our senior years. There are programs that provide financial assistance at the state level, 'if you qualify'.
For some this is a hard avenue to take even if they qualify. We've worked and taken care of our responsibilities for years and now the thought of public assistance is a hard pill to swallow..
It doesn't seem fair to now have to be the disciplinarian instead of the one who gets to spoil these children, but what are the alternatives? If it wasn't for the grandparents stepping up and taking responsibility, most of these children would end of in foster care and where there are two or more they are very often separated.
There is a wealth of information on the web. You can start by searching the sites for your local state, county or city. Also there are senior associations that have some valuable information. Many churches offer help and there are support groups available.You can go to your search engine and type in keywords that will take you to informational sites. Some suggestions would be grandparents, parenting grandchildren, extended family, raising grandchildren--these are just a few suggestions.
If you go through your search engine, a good suggestion would be to bookmark the search engine results page and then go back and click on each site. You can save the ones that appear to be relevant to your situation by bookmarking them.
When you have saved several sites, then go back and study each one and take note of the information that addresses your situation. This may seem time consuming and it is but it will be worth it in the end.
Also look for blogs. I found several good ones by using two searches. In your search engine type in grandparenting/blog for one and raising grandchildren/blog for another. Both will get you excellent results.
Finally, I want to offer one very good piece of advice that was given to me by a very dear friend. Take care of yourself. Set aside some me time each day to just relax, read, soak in a warm bath, take a long walk or whatever it takes to keep your stress level down. You have to stay healthy to accomplish this task.
Good luck and God bless
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Changing-Role-of-Grandparents-in-Todays-Society&id=6410159] The Changing Role of Grandparents in Today's Society
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Grandparent Rights In America - How Our Grandchildren Became Collateral Damage
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Angela_Montgomery]Angela Montgomery
When it comes to grandparents rights in the United States of America, let there be no doubt!
Wait. It all depends...
Because each state makes law as individual cases come before its' appointed & elected judges, the rights of a grandparent in Texas can be quickly granted and - just as lightning fast - a grandparent in California may never see her grandchild again. In Florida, a grandmother may be given generous visitation rights because she proved "grandparent alienation syndrome" would be harmful to her grandchildren, while in Ohio a heart-broken grandfather with mountains of evidence loses his rights forever.
To understand how laws on grandparents rights can be light years apart from one state to the next, it's important to grasp a tad bit of history about how those rights have evolved in America. Don't worry. It's a short primer: A landmark Supreme Court decision - rendered just eleven years ago - struck a massive blow to the long-standing and basic right of grandchildren to maintain a loving relationship with grandparents.
In the case of Troxel v. Granville, the court refused to recognize any basis for granting visitation rights to anyone, declaring, "The custody, care and nurture of the child reside first in the parents, whose primary function and freedom include preparation for obligations the state can neither supply nor hinder. A law that allows anyone to petition a court for child visitation rights over parental objections unconstitutionally infringes on parents' fundamental right to rear their children."
The basic premise of the Troxel v. Granville decision, then, is that a child's parents inherently have the child's best interests at heart.
But what about those who don't? What about the 800,000 children in the United States who are abused or neglected each year? What about the thousands of innocent souls who are used as weapons by parents unable - or unwilling - to put their children's best interests first?
Thankfully, as cases have come before them, several states have added criteria of their own. Can it be proven that harm will come to the child if the grandparent is removed from his life? Many states require "clear and convincing" evidence that the child will be physically or emotionally harmed if visitation isn't granted. Can the grandparent show "proof of love"? Letters, gifts, photos, videos...treasured keepsakes that prove a long-term, loving relationship between grandparent & child. Is the biological family "intact" or "fractured"?
As more and more baby-boomers experience the heartache of grandchildren torn from their loving arms, laws will change. Tragically - even with good state laws on the books - if a judge is having a bad day or simply of the mindset that the grandparent is "sticking" her nose in where it doesn't belong, a loving & involved grandparent can be permanently & immediately removed from the grandchild's life.
The sad and tragic fact of the matter is that until there is federal legislation favoring the rights of Grand Parents to maintain a loving relationship with their grandchildren, children by the thousands will continue to be used as collateral damage...abused, neglected and mercilessly launched as weapons of mass destruction, in the war of revenge over reason.
Angela Montgomery is Chief Editor for GrandparentsRights911.com. She is a leading authority on grandparents rights, and tirelessly advocates for laws granting the rights of children to have a loving relationship with their grandparents. For more information, resources & support on [http://www.grandparentsrights911.com/grandparent-rights-in/]grandparent rights in your state visit the site at [http://www.grandparentsrights911.com/]http://www.grandparentsrights911.com
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Grandparent-Rights-In-America---How-Our-Grandchildren-Became-Collateral-Damage&id=6433556] Grandparent Rights In America - How Our Grandchildren Became Collateral Damage
When it comes to grandparents rights in the United States of America, let there be no doubt!
Wait. It all depends...
Because each state makes law as individual cases come before its' appointed & elected judges, the rights of a grandparent in Texas can be quickly granted and - just as lightning fast - a grandparent in California may never see her grandchild again. In Florida, a grandmother may be given generous visitation rights because she proved "grandparent alienation syndrome" would be harmful to her grandchildren, while in Ohio a heart-broken grandfather with mountains of evidence loses his rights forever.
To understand how laws on grandparents rights can be light years apart from one state to the next, it's important to grasp a tad bit of history about how those rights have evolved in America. Don't worry. It's a short primer: A landmark Supreme Court decision - rendered just eleven years ago - struck a massive blow to the long-standing and basic right of grandchildren to maintain a loving relationship with grandparents.
In the case of Troxel v. Granville, the court refused to recognize any basis for granting visitation rights to anyone, declaring, "The custody, care and nurture of the child reside first in the parents, whose primary function and freedom include preparation for obligations the state can neither supply nor hinder. A law that allows anyone to petition a court for child visitation rights over parental objections unconstitutionally infringes on parents' fundamental right to rear their children."
The basic premise of the Troxel v. Granville decision, then, is that a child's parents inherently have the child's best interests at heart.
But what about those who don't? What about the 800,000 children in the United States who are abused or neglected each year? What about the thousands of innocent souls who are used as weapons by parents unable - or unwilling - to put their children's best interests first?
Thankfully, as cases have come before them, several states have added criteria of their own. Can it be proven that harm will come to the child if the grandparent is removed from his life? Many states require "clear and convincing" evidence that the child will be physically or emotionally harmed if visitation isn't granted. Can the grandparent show "proof of love"? Letters, gifts, photos, videos...treasured keepsakes that prove a long-term, loving relationship between grandparent & child. Is the biological family "intact" or "fractured"?
As more and more baby-boomers experience the heartache of grandchildren torn from their loving arms, laws will change. Tragically - even with good state laws on the books - if a judge is having a bad day or simply of the mindset that the grandparent is "sticking" her nose in where it doesn't belong, a loving & involved grandparent can be permanently & immediately removed from the grandchild's life.
The sad and tragic fact of the matter is that until there is federal legislation favoring the rights of Grand Parents to maintain a loving relationship with their grandchildren, children by the thousands will continue to be used as collateral damage...abused, neglected and mercilessly launched as weapons of mass destruction, in the war of revenge over reason.
Angela Montgomery is Chief Editor for GrandparentsRights911.com. She is a leading authority on grandparents rights, and tirelessly advocates for laws granting the rights of children to have a loving relationship with their grandparents. For more information, resources & support on [http://www.grandparentsrights911.com/grandparent-rights-in/]grandparent rights in your state visit the site at [http://www.grandparentsrights911.com/]http://www.grandparentsrights911.com
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Grandparent-Rights-In-America---How-Our-Grandchildren-Became-Collateral-Damage&id=6433556] Grandparent Rights In America - How Our Grandchildren Became Collateral Damage
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Grandparents Rights To Grandchildren: The Spirit of the Law vs The Letter of the Law
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Angela_Montgomery]Angela Montgomery
Let's just admit it. When children are used as weapons, innocence dies.
Tragically and much too often, when a couple with children split up the effect has a massive & tidal impact on all of the people around them, including - and most especially - the offspring's God-given rights to be loved & protected by their Grand Parents. Even issues like the school to which the child goes can become fodder in the war of retribution. It's no wonder that grandparents' rights to grandchildren often wind up on the table...scrapped.
While laws regarding grandparents' rights to grandchildren vary from one state to the next, most of them rest on the idea that parents should be allowed to say who their child does and doesn't have access to. From the legal standpoint, the letter of the law puts those decisions squarely in the hands of the parents.
However, the spirit of the law...now that's a whole different ball game.
The law's intent - above all else - is to do what's in "the best interests of the children". The question then becomes what defines 'best interests'. Until recently, judges have seen fit to leave that question in the hands of parents - even when those parents are unable (or unwilling) to put the child's health & welfare first. The letter of the law by and large favors the biological father and mother, which makes getting legal rights to grandchildren in a visitation or custody dispute a tough & rocky mountain to climb, indeed.
Some state laws are more lenient toward grandparents' rights to grandchildren than others. All look to the landmark Troxel v. Granville Supreme Court case. That case said that visitation can only be enforced (and that includes grandparent visitation) when it's in the best interests of the children. Should you choose to go the legal route, it is up to you - and your expert attorney - to make the presiding judge understand that those interests include family traditions and genealogical legacy.
Some states interpret the spirit of that law differently. Some require grandparents to prove that physical or emotional harm will come to a child by being forbidden from seeing the grandparent in order to get visitation. Other states require grandparents to show "proof of love," which is something that has a very nebulous and subjective legal definition. Proof of love? Take pictures. Shoot videos. Write letters. Send gifts.
Often, looking back on a divorce, good parents are able to see that they may have been rash in making the decisions they did regarding grandparent rights to grandchildren. Even if the parent didn't particularly enjoy their former spouse's parents, they are often able to recognize that the child would be much happier if they were allowed contact with that grandparent. Time can make a difference...
Meanwhile, we must advocate for grandparents visitation rights change...so that the Letter of the Law and the Spirit of the Law, always come together in doing what's in the best interests of our beloved children.
Angela Montgomery is Chief Editor for GrandparentsRights911.com. She is a leading authority on grandparents rights and tirelessly advocates for laws granting the rights of children to have a loving relationship with their grandparents. For more information, resources & support on [http://www.grandparentsrights911.com/grandparents-rights-to-grandchildren/]grandparents rights to grandchildren visit the site at [http://www.grandparentsrights911.com/]http://www.grandparentsrights911.com
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Grandparents-Rights-To-Grandchildren:-The-Spirit-of-the-Law-vs-The-Letter-of-the-Law&id=6422359] Grandparents Rights To Grandchildren: The Spirit of the Law vs The Letter of the Law
Let's just admit it. When children are used as weapons, innocence dies.
Tragically and much too often, when a couple with children split up the effect has a massive & tidal impact on all of the people around them, including - and most especially - the offspring's God-given rights to be loved & protected by their Grand Parents. Even issues like the school to which the child goes can become fodder in the war of retribution. It's no wonder that grandparents' rights to grandchildren often wind up on the table...scrapped.
While laws regarding grandparents' rights to grandchildren vary from one state to the next, most of them rest on the idea that parents should be allowed to say who their child does and doesn't have access to. From the legal standpoint, the letter of the law puts those decisions squarely in the hands of the parents.
However, the spirit of the law...now that's a whole different ball game.
The law's intent - above all else - is to do what's in "the best interests of the children". The question then becomes what defines 'best interests'. Until recently, judges have seen fit to leave that question in the hands of parents - even when those parents are unable (or unwilling) to put the child's health & welfare first. The letter of the law by and large favors the biological father and mother, which makes getting legal rights to grandchildren in a visitation or custody dispute a tough & rocky mountain to climb, indeed.
Some state laws are more lenient toward grandparents' rights to grandchildren than others. All look to the landmark Troxel v. Granville Supreme Court case. That case said that visitation can only be enforced (and that includes grandparent visitation) when it's in the best interests of the children. Should you choose to go the legal route, it is up to you - and your expert attorney - to make the presiding judge understand that those interests include family traditions and genealogical legacy.
Some states interpret the spirit of that law differently. Some require grandparents to prove that physical or emotional harm will come to a child by being forbidden from seeing the grandparent in order to get visitation. Other states require grandparents to show "proof of love," which is something that has a very nebulous and subjective legal definition. Proof of love? Take pictures. Shoot videos. Write letters. Send gifts.
Often, looking back on a divorce, good parents are able to see that they may have been rash in making the decisions they did regarding grandparent rights to grandchildren. Even if the parent didn't particularly enjoy their former spouse's parents, they are often able to recognize that the child would be much happier if they were allowed contact with that grandparent. Time can make a difference...
Meanwhile, we must advocate for grandparents visitation rights change...so that the Letter of the Law and the Spirit of the Law, always come together in doing what's in the best interests of our beloved children.
Angela Montgomery is Chief Editor for GrandparentsRights911.com. She is a leading authority on grandparents rights and tirelessly advocates for laws granting the rights of children to have a loving relationship with their grandparents. For more information, resources & support on [http://www.grandparentsrights911.com/grandparents-rights-to-grandchildren/]grandparents rights to grandchildren visit the site at [http://www.grandparentsrights911.com/]http://www.grandparentsrights911.com
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Grandparents-Rights-To-Grandchildren:-The-Spirit-of-the-Law-vs-The-Letter-of-the-Law&id=6422359] Grandparents Rights To Grandchildren: The Spirit of the Law vs The Letter of the Law
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Grandchildren Rights - Who Will Speak For The Children?
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Angela_Montgomery]Angela Montgomery
When it comes to issues of custody, visitation, and other life-changing decisions that have to be made about a child, the child's best interests always take precedence...right?
Wrong.
At least, not when it comes to a grandson's right to sit at Gramma's feet and discover from whence he came...or a granddaughter's right to giggles as Grampa tries to find her best "hide & seek" spot. Or the right of a child to know without question that - should something be wrong with mommy and/or daddy - Papa and Nana will always be able to make it right again.
Unfortunately, grandchildren rights often are only addressed by the law in a reactionary manner. Parents aren't prohibited from treating their children like chattel; thus, many thousands of abused, neglected and unwanted children fall through the cracks each year. All too often children suffer in silence and despair.
Many die.
Statistics in this area are troubling and extremely difficult to ponder for any length of time: According to the Department of Health & Human Services, almost 800,000 children are neglected and abused each year. The child protective service agencies around the country get more than 3 million referrals each year, which pertain to nearly 6 million children. It's also estimated that around 1,800 children die every year because of child abuse or neglect.
Where an active grandparent is involved, incidents of serious injury and long-term neglect are substantially diminished. Unfortunately, instead of recognizing a child's inherent right to share a loving & nurturing relationship with her grandparents, the courts often leave the definition of what's in the child's best interests to parents whose own interests come first.
On the whim and fancy of mostly young parents fighting their own demons - be they abusive childhoods, drugs and alcohol, or adult temper tantrums - using the children as a deadly weapon ultimately ends in shattered hearts and broken, tormented children.
Now, from the legal perspective, grandchildren rights are muddled, at best. The law assumes that an intact family (where a mother and father are married) have full control over what's best for a child. There are limits, however. If physical or mental abuse are proven, the court can (and hopefully, will!) step in. Parent's must provide an education, and they can't neglect their children.
This leaves many thousands of grandparents with the fight of their life on their hands, in the desperate hope of getting even minimal contact with their grandchildren. When you're struggling to get grandparent visitation, you can fall into the same pit that many unthinking & selfish-centered parents do - seeing their children as a bargaining tool, or property. If you want to truly be above this fray and deeply desire only what's best for your grandchild, you must hone in on - and pay extremely close attention to - the rights of your precious grandchildren.
Edmund Burke said it best. "All that is necessary for the forces of evil to win in the world is for enough good men to do nothing."
You, dear grandparent, may be your grandchild's last, great hope....and her only voice.
Angela Montgomery is Chief Editor at GrandparentsRights911.com. She is a leading authority on grandparents rights, and tirelessly advocates for laws granting the rights of children to have a loving relationship with their grandparents. Want to learn more about [http://www.grandparentsrights911.com/what-about-grandchildren-rights]grandchildren rights? Visit the site at http://www.GrandparentsRights911.com for other informative articles & available resources.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Grandchildren-Rights---Who-Will-Speak-For-The-Children?&id=6416877] Grandchildren Rights - Who Will Speak For The Children?
When it comes to issues of custody, visitation, and other life-changing decisions that have to be made about a child, the child's best interests always take precedence...right?
Wrong.
At least, not when it comes to a grandson's right to sit at Gramma's feet and discover from whence he came...or a granddaughter's right to giggles as Grampa tries to find her best "hide & seek" spot. Or the right of a child to know without question that - should something be wrong with mommy and/or daddy - Papa and Nana will always be able to make it right again.
Unfortunately, grandchildren rights often are only addressed by the law in a reactionary manner. Parents aren't prohibited from treating their children like chattel; thus, many thousands of abused, neglected and unwanted children fall through the cracks each year. All too often children suffer in silence and despair.
Many die.
Statistics in this area are troubling and extremely difficult to ponder for any length of time: According to the Department of Health & Human Services, almost 800,000 children are neglected and abused each year. The child protective service agencies around the country get more than 3 million referrals each year, which pertain to nearly 6 million children. It's also estimated that around 1,800 children die every year because of child abuse or neglect.
Where an active grandparent is involved, incidents of serious injury and long-term neglect are substantially diminished. Unfortunately, instead of recognizing a child's inherent right to share a loving & nurturing relationship with her grandparents, the courts often leave the definition of what's in the child's best interests to parents whose own interests come first.
On the whim and fancy of mostly young parents fighting their own demons - be they abusive childhoods, drugs and alcohol, or adult temper tantrums - using the children as a deadly weapon ultimately ends in shattered hearts and broken, tormented children.
Now, from the legal perspective, grandchildren rights are muddled, at best. The law assumes that an intact family (where a mother and father are married) have full control over what's best for a child. There are limits, however. If physical or mental abuse are proven, the court can (and hopefully, will!) step in. Parent's must provide an education, and they can't neglect their children.
This leaves many thousands of grandparents with the fight of their life on their hands, in the desperate hope of getting even minimal contact with their grandchildren. When you're struggling to get grandparent visitation, you can fall into the same pit that many unthinking & selfish-centered parents do - seeing their children as a bargaining tool, or property. If you want to truly be above this fray and deeply desire only what's best for your grandchild, you must hone in on - and pay extremely close attention to - the rights of your precious grandchildren.
Edmund Burke said it best. "All that is necessary for the forces of evil to win in the world is for enough good men to do nothing."
You, dear grandparent, may be your grandchild's last, great hope....and her only voice.
Angela Montgomery is Chief Editor at GrandparentsRights911.com. She is a leading authority on grandparents rights, and tirelessly advocates for laws granting the rights of children to have a loving relationship with their grandparents. Want to learn more about [http://www.grandparentsrights911.com/what-about-grandchildren-rights]grandchildren rights? Visit the site at http://www.GrandparentsRights911.com for other informative articles & available resources.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Grandchildren-Rights---Who-Will-Speak-For-The-Children?&id=6416877] Grandchildren Rights - Who Will Speak For The Children?
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Grandparent Legal Rights - When Did THEY Become Necessary?
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Angela_Montgomery]Angela Montgomery
The past century has seen tremendous changes in the structure of the family in the United States. The fact of the matter is that it's a very different world for grandparents today than it was 100, 50, or even 25 years ago. The "Waltons" way of life - where grandparents & parents loved and raised the next generation together and without question - has long since passed us by. The legal rights of grandparents are no longer a given; they are, in fact, tenuous at best.
Consider the following:
Today, more than a third of all adults have never been married. That represents an historic high.
Married households only make up just over half of all households. In 1960, that number was closer to 75 percent.
Births outside of marriage were fewer than one in 10 prior to 1980. Today, more than 25 percent of children are born to single-parent households.
More and more older folks are living alone. In 1910, just 10 percent of widows lived alone; today, it's over 70 percent.
Clearly, as children are increasingly isolated and left without a sense of history and tradition, these changes present the need to closely examine grandparent legal rights. These rights are rarely cut and dried. There have been federal court cases, such as the Supreme Court decision in Troxel v. Granville, that have caused devastating consequences for grandparent legal rights. Though a loving, healthy and long-term relationship was proven to have existed between grandparent & grandchild, the decision in that case came down squarely in favor of parents' rights to determine who can and can't have visitation with a child - including grandparents.
Further complicating the matter is the fact that each of the individual states deals with the issues of grandparent legal rights on their own. Some states automatically favor the decisions of the parents, even when grandparents can show proof of love and demonstrate that visitation is in the child's best interests. Other states allow more latitude, but all have to come down within the framework of the court decisions.
If both parents in an intact family don't want you to have visitation rights, you're almost always going to be out of luck. As a matter of fact, the vast majority of states won't even consider awarding visitation if the family is intact. In some states, a court won't look at visitation rights unless one of the parents is deceased.
As baby boomers have begun to experience - in vastly increasing numbers - the heart-wrenching agony of lost grandchildren, each brings a voice to this tragic cause. Now, more than ever, we need to be out there advocating for grandparent legal rights...for the legacy that is our grandchild's birthright.
It's an uphill battle to be sure, and most of what's gone on in the past thirty years or so doesn't help. Still, by advocating for change, choosing the right politicians for office, and making sure that others are aware of the issues, we can turn shine a bright light on the tragedy of children without a voice.
Angela Montgomery is Chief Editor for GrandparentsRights911.com. She is a leading authority on grandparents rights, and tirelessly advocates for laws granting the rights of children to have a loving relationship with their grandparents. For more information, resources & support on [http://www.grandparentsrights911.com/do-grandparents-have-rights/]grandparent legal rights visit the site at [http://www.grandparentsrights911.com/]http://www.grandparentsrights911.com
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Grandparent-Legal-Rights---When-Did-THEY-Become-Necessary?&id=6422057] Grandparent Legal Rights - When Did THEY Become Necessary?
The past century has seen tremendous changes in the structure of the family in the United States. The fact of the matter is that it's a very different world for grandparents today than it was 100, 50, or even 25 years ago. The "Waltons" way of life - where grandparents & parents loved and raised the next generation together and without question - has long since passed us by. The legal rights of grandparents are no longer a given; they are, in fact, tenuous at best.
Consider the following:
Today, more than a third of all adults have never been married. That represents an historic high.
Married households only make up just over half of all households. In 1960, that number was closer to 75 percent.
Births outside of marriage were fewer than one in 10 prior to 1980. Today, more than 25 percent of children are born to single-parent households.
More and more older folks are living alone. In 1910, just 10 percent of widows lived alone; today, it's over 70 percent.
Clearly, as children are increasingly isolated and left without a sense of history and tradition, these changes present the need to closely examine grandparent legal rights. These rights are rarely cut and dried. There have been federal court cases, such as the Supreme Court decision in Troxel v. Granville, that have caused devastating consequences for grandparent legal rights. Though a loving, healthy and long-term relationship was proven to have existed between grandparent & grandchild, the decision in that case came down squarely in favor of parents' rights to determine who can and can't have visitation with a child - including grandparents.
Further complicating the matter is the fact that each of the individual states deals with the issues of grandparent legal rights on their own. Some states automatically favor the decisions of the parents, even when grandparents can show proof of love and demonstrate that visitation is in the child's best interests. Other states allow more latitude, but all have to come down within the framework of the court decisions.
If both parents in an intact family don't want you to have visitation rights, you're almost always going to be out of luck. As a matter of fact, the vast majority of states won't even consider awarding visitation if the family is intact. In some states, a court won't look at visitation rights unless one of the parents is deceased.
As baby boomers have begun to experience - in vastly increasing numbers - the heart-wrenching agony of lost grandchildren, each brings a voice to this tragic cause. Now, more than ever, we need to be out there advocating for grandparent legal rights...for the legacy that is our grandchild's birthright.
It's an uphill battle to be sure, and most of what's gone on in the past thirty years or so doesn't help. Still, by advocating for change, choosing the right politicians for office, and making sure that others are aware of the issues, we can turn shine a bright light on the tragedy of children without a voice.
Angela Montgomery is Chief Editor for GrandparentsRights911.com. She is a leading authority on grandparents rights, and tirelessly advocates for laws granting the rights of children to have a loving relationship with their grandparents. For more information, resources & support on [http://www.grandparentsrights911.com/do-grandparents-have-rights/]grandparent legal rights visit the site at [http://www.grandparentsrights911.com/]http://www.grandparentsrights911.com
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Grandparent-Legal-Rights---When-Did-THEY-Become-Necessary?&id=6422057] Grandparent Legal Rights - When Did THEY Become Necessary?
Friday, February 3, 2012
Grandparent Rights: 5 Valuable Tips For When You Must Make The Journey Alone
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Angela_Montgomery]Angela Montgomery
Living by yourself at this stage in life has its own distinct challenges. Still, with age comes wisdom and there are wonderful trade-offs for the lack of spring in your step or color in your hair. The blessings of friends and family become so very much more precious as the years begin to make their mark. Thus, should it become necessary to fight for the health & welfare of your grandchildren, know that one grandparent speaking for their rights is enough...YOU are enough.
Because the road will be difficult at best, it's important to keep the following five helpful tips in mind:
1. Get off your back & remember "HALTS". You're going to be facing some massive obstacles and tough times ahead. There are going to be days when you wonder if you're doing the right thing. This is when you must remember the acronym HALTS. When you get too Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired or Sick, it's time to be still. Stop all activity and nurture yourself completely. You must refill the gas tank.
2. You will need emotional support as much as you need air to breathe. When you have a partner, you have a built-in support system. When you're advocating for grandparent rights alone, you MUST get that support elsewhere. Put together a small group trusted friends, family members, and/or co-workers who will be your staunchest allies in this cause to give your grandchildren a voice.
3. Reach out to others in the same boat. There are thousands of other grandparents out there who ache to be reunited with their grandchildren. They can be a great source of strength, encouragement and advice. Networking with others through online forums, community organizations or religious groups benefits everyone involved and brings ever more light & attention to the cause of Grandparents Rights.
4. Educate yourself. Remember, "knowledge is power". Organizations like the Grandparenting Foundation and the National Center on Grandparents Raising Children can be tremendous educational resources for you. There are also a growing number of ebooks, courses, and other educational opportunities available online.
5. Acceptance is key. Remember the WHY. Your fight for your Grandparent Rights will likely be long and hard. It will take a significant amount of your time, energy and money. Even in the best of circumstances and armed with a mountain of evidence, you might lose the legal battle. Do it anyway. Leave your grandchildren a legacy of love...and of standing up for the rights of those who cannot.
Angela Montgomery is Chief Editor for GrandparentsRights911.com. She is a leading authority on grandparents rights, and tirelessly advocates for laws granting the rights of children to have a loving relationship with their grandparents. For more information, resources & support on [http://www.grandparentsrights911.com/grandparent-rights/]grandparent rights visit the site at [http://www.grandparentsrights911.com/]http://www.grandparentsrights911.com
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Grandparent-Rights:-5-Valuable-Tips-For-When-You-Must-Make-The-Journey-Alone&id=6433950] Grandparent Rights: 5 Valuable Tips For When You Must Make The Journey Alone
Living by yourself at this stage in life has its own distinct challenges. Still, with age comes wisdom and there are wonderful trade-offs for the lack of spring in your step or color in your hair. The blessings of friends and family become so very much more precious as the years begin to make their mark. Thus, should it become necessary to fight for the health & welfare of your grandchildren, know that one grandparent speaking for their rights is enough...YOU are enough.
Because the road will be difficult at best, it's important to keep the following five helpful tips in mind:
1. Get off your back & remember "HALTS". You're going to be facing some massive obstacles and tough times ahead. There are going to be days when you wonder if you're doing the right thing. This is when you must remember the acronym HALTS. When you get too Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired or Sick, it's time to be still. Stop all activity and nurture yourself completely. You must refill the gas tank.
2. You will need emotional support as much as you need air to breathe. When you have a partner, you have a built-in support system. When you're advocating for grandparent rights alone, you MUST get that support elsewhere. Put together a small group trusted friends, family members, and/or co-workers who will be your staunchest allies in this cause to give your grandchildren a voice.
3. Reach out to others in the same boat. There are thousands of other grandparents out there who ache to be reunited with their grandchildren. They can be a great source of strength, encouragement and advice. Networking with others through online forums, community organizations or religious groups benefits everyone involved and brings ever more light & attention to the cause of Grandparents Rights.
4. Educate yourself. Remember, "knowledge is power". Organizations like the Grandparenting Foundation and the National Center on Grandparents Raising Children can be tremendous educational resources for you. There are also a growing number of ebooks, courses, and other educational opportunities available online.
5. Acceptance is key. Remember the WHY. Your fight for your Grandparent Rights will likely be long and hard. It will take a significant amount of your time, energy and money. Even in the best of circumstances and armed with a mountain of evidence, you might lose the legal battle. Do it anyway. Leave your grandchildren a legacy of love...and of standing up for the rights of those who cannot.
Angela Montgomery is Chief Editor for GrandparentsRights911.com. She is a leading authority on grandparents rights, and tirelessly advocates for laws granting the rights of children to have a loving relationship with their grandparents. For more information, resources & support on [http://www.grandparentsrights911.com/grandparent-rights/]grandparent rights visit the site at [http://www.grandparentsrights911.com/]http://www.grandparentsrights911.com
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Grandparent-Rights:-5-Valuable-Tips-For-When-You-Must-Make-The-Journey-Alone&id=6433950] Grandparent Rights: 5 Valuable Tips For When You Must Make The Journey Alone
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Do Grandparents Have Rights to Their Grandchildren?
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Angela_Montgomery]Angela Montgomery
A heartbroken grandmother - torn from the grandchild's life with whom she's spent every weekend for the last five years - desperately begs the question, "Do grandparents have rights?" These are troubling times, to be sure. Unlike any other time in history, the American family is in distress and nowhere is that affliction more evident than in the tenuous relationship of older Americans to their grandchildren.
What happened to the days of Grandparents? Just try to imagine Grandpa & Grandma Walton having to go to court to argue their case for the right to be a part of the lives of their grandchildren. Crazy, right? Yet, here we are. Thousands upon thousands of heartbroken grandparents, desperately searching for a way back into a lost grandchild's life.
Professor Herbert S. Klein has identified a number of trends regarding the current state of the family in America....and it isn't pretty.
Consider these startling facts:
Before 1980, less than one in every 10 births occurred outside of marriage.
The percentage of people who never marry is at historic highs, with over one-third of American adults not ever having been married.
More than 25 percent of all families with children are single-parent households.
Out of all households (including those without children) only 53 percent are married households. In 1960, that number was 75 percent.
Increasingly, the elderly are living by themselves. Today, over two-thirds of widows live alone. In 1910, only one in 10 widows lived alone.
There are, of course, plenty of theories about what's brought us to this point. Some say it has to do with a loss of morality. Others see it as a natural societal evolution. Some blame the feminist movement, while others suggest that technology is to blame. Regardless of what caused it, families are changing. While 100 years ago it would have been ludicrous to ask, "Do grandparents have rights to grandchildren?" today nothing is off the table.
What does this mean for you? It means that you're more likely to be expected to live alone, and to provide for your own wants and needs throughout your life. It means that in a world of skyrocketing divorce rates, you may be forced into the ugly world of custody wars and visitation battles.
The rights of grandchildren to maintain a relationship with their grandparents are increasingly called into question as a direct result of these societal changes and children by the thousands suffer in silence & despair as - all too often - the answer has been a resounding, "NO!"
The issue of grandparent rights is in a massive state of flux. Every day, in every state in the country, courts are redefining what "in the best interests of the child" truly means. If you're asking the question as to whether or not you have rights as a grandparent, at present the answer is "maybe". Depends on where you live...the judge you draw...the expertise of the lawyer you hire...how much money you can afford.
It is only when enough elder voices become willing to raise the alarm on behalf of lost grandchildren everywhere that those rights will again be uniformly recognized, respected and - by necessity - made into law.
Angela Montgomery is Chief Editor for GrandparentsRights911.com. She is a leading authority on grandparents rights and tirelessly advocates for laws granting the rights of children to have a loving relationship with their grandparents. For more information, resources & support on the question [http://www.grandparentsrights911.com/do-grandparents-have-rights/]Do Grandparents Have Rights? visit the site at [http://www.grandparentsrights911.com/]http://www.grandparentsrights911.com
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Do-Grandparents-Have-Rights-to-Their-Grandchildren?&id=6439487] Do Grandparents Have Rights to Their Grandchildren?
A heartbroken grandmother - torn from the grandchild's life with whom she's spent every weekend for the last five years - desperately begs the question, "Do grandparents have rights?" These are troubling times, to be sure. Unlike any other time in history, the American family is in distress and nowhere is that affliction more evident than in the tenuous relationship of older Americans to their grandchildren.
What happened to the days of Grandparents? Just try to imagine Grandpa & Grandma Walton having to go to court to argue their case for the right to be a part of the lives of their grandchildren. Crazy, right? Yet, here we are. Thousands upon thousands of heartbroken grandparents, desperately searching for a way back into a lost grandchild's life.
Professor Herbert S. Klein has identified a number of trends regarding the current state of the family in America....and it isn't pretty.
Consider these startling facts:
Before 1980, less than one in every 10 births occurred outside of marriage.
The percentage of people who never marry is at historic highs, with over one-third of American adults not ever having been married.
More than 25 percent of all families with children are single-parent households.
Out of all households (including those without children) only 53 percent are married households. In 1960, that number was 75 percent.
Increasingly, the elderly are living by themselves. Today, over two-thirds of widows live alone. In 1910, only one in 10 widows lived alone.
There are, of course, plenty of theories about what's brought us to this point. Some say it has to do with a loss of morality. Others see it as a natural societal evolution. Some blame the feminist movement, while others suggest that technology is to blame. Regardless of what caused it, families are changing. While 100 years ago it would have been ludicrous to ask, "Do grandparents have rights to grandchildren?" today nothing is off the table.
What does this mean for you? It means that you're more likely to be expected to live alone, and to provide for your own wants and needs throughout your life. It means that in a world of skyrocketing divorce rates, you may be forced into the ugly world of custody wars and visitation battles.
The rights of grandchildren to maintain a relationship with their grandparents are increasingly called into question as a direct result of these societal changes and children by the thousands suffer in silence & despair as - all too often - the answer has been a resounding, "NO!"
The issue of grandparent rights is in a massive state of flux. Every day, in every state in the country, courts are redefining what "in the best interests of the child" truly means. If you're asking the question as to whether or not you have rights as a grandparent, at present the answer is "maybe". Depends on where you live...the judge you draw...the expertise of the lawyer you hire...how much money you can afford.
It is only when enough elder voices become willing to raise the alarm on behalf of lost grandchildren everywhere that those rights will again be uniformly recognized, respected and - by necessity - made into law.
Angela Montgomery is Chief Editor for GrandparentsRights911.com. She is a leading authority on grandparents rights and tirelessly advocates for laws granting the rights of children to have a loving relationship with their grandparents. For more information, resources & support on the question [http://www.grandparentsrights911.com/do-grandparents-have-rights/]Do Grandparents Have Rights? visit the site at [http://www.grandparentsrights911.com/]http://www.grandparentsrights911.com
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Do-Grandparents-Have-Rights-to-Their-Grandchildren?&id=6439487] Do Grandparents Have Rights to Their Grandchildren?
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