Grandparenting:  Why Grandparents are Powerful Influencers & Great Storytellers
Channel: Good Parenting Brighter Children
Date: 2019-05-07

Grandparenting:  Why Grandparents are Powerful Influencers and Great Storytellers

For more information, see the blog:  https://goodparentingbrighterchildren.com/grandparents-are-powerful-influencers/

Do you know that your “people influence”—stretches to only two generations of family members?  Your children and grandchildren…that’s it.  

Posterity can be affected through the written word, but the real day-to-day impact happens with your kids and grandkids. 
But., influencing and helping to mold people of two generations is heady stuff!

Grandparents are enormous influencers and can transform the lives of their grandchildren. 

Many grandparents travel long distances and make great sacrifices to see their grandchildren, and to be an influencer.   
Many connect through social media and phone calls, etc., but there are other unique ways of connecting.

Meet Angela and Rick Blesi. They are long-distant grandparents and connect to their grandson in a powerful way…books! 
They started a clever book series, Sticking with Family® Books. 
The books are unique: they come with photo-stickers of the child and grandparents and personalize the story. 
A Fun Day With Grandpa and A Fun Day With Grandma are bold, bright and beautiful. The photo stickers help young children remember their long-distant grandparents. 

The colorful illustrations feature activities grandparents do with their grandchildren and are ethnically neutral and promote reading and communication skills with children.

Their grandson loves books! With the extra stickers, he covered his arms and went to school and told his teachers he was bringing his grandparents to school. 

Grandkids love that they are part of the story.  Connect with your grandchild and make reading together a memorable moment! 
Read more on the blog or go to their website to order: https://stickingwithfamily.com/  

The Blesi’s agree…grandparenting is just plain fun. And you can influence your grandkids through involvement, loads of love, and…personalized books! 

Time Management:  Warning - How to Keep your Kids from Becoming Tech Junkies!

For more information, see the blog:
https://goodparentingbrighterchildren.com/too-much-technology-use/ 

Did you know that Steve Jobs was a “low-tech” parent? He said, “We limit how much technology our kids use at home.” Surprising isn't it?! 

Other tech geniuses put strict rules on tech-use Why? 

We live in a 3-D world and technology is a 2-D world. The 2-D world can cause a host of learning, social, and emotional problems. 

Steve Jobs was the genius tech-creator, but we are the users. And, there’s a big difference. 

When children spend long hours on technology—they are users and not creators. But, they are losing more than creativity:

Too much technology? Look for these signs:
 
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder,
• ADD/ADHD attention-deficit disorder
• Visual Perception 
• Narcissism
• Sleeping disorders
• Body dysmorphic disorder 
• Mood disorders: Depression, Mania, etc
• Addictions
• Loss of empathy—especially when there is a video-game addiction which can cause desensitization and emotional distance\
• delayed language development

Help Your Kids Monitor Technology

Parents—control the amount of time your kids spend on all kinds of tech devices. Children under 2 should not use technology at all. Children over the age of 2—no more than 1 hour/day.  

Try these strategies: 

#1: Charts: Create a chart to determine the use and use it to limit use. 

#2: Activities vs. Technology: for every 5 minutes your kids spend on tech—they should spend an equal time practicing an instrument, playing outdoors, or doing sports.

#3 Co-Viewing: when your child is “plugged in”—sit with him/her and watch what they are watching—be their first teacher—not the Internet

#4: Rescue Time: time-management software that helps kids monitor their tech addiction.
Not easy to put the brakes on tech-use but it will reap big rewards. –longer attention span, smarter, healthy emotions and will do better in school and life. 

Next up: How to fill the time-hole when your kids give up tech-toys. 

Links: 

Website: https://goodparentingbrighterchildren.com

Resource Library: https://goodparentingbrighterchildren.com/resource-library/

Parents, this Resource Library is designed to help you raise brighter children. Books, music CDs, nutrition, toys, and game lists, plus printables, recipes, and more. Everything is here to help you with your family and parenting journey!