Mediate Michigan

Summer is often a time when grandparents are recruited to spend time with their grandkids. A beleaguered single-again parent deserves time off and, if money is tight, Camp Grandma and Grandpa is a logical choice. So why not offer to take the kids for a week or two, especially if you’re a long-distance grandparent and/or a grandparent with the time and energy to cope with the youngsters?

Most seniors look forward to vacationing with their family. But quality time can easily morph into quarrelsome time if a grandchild’s parents are recently separated or divorced. Unfortunately, the kid may be packing a wad of resentment into his beach bag when you get him. Nervous about leaving a custodial parent, missing a visitation, and the prospect of being dumped at some old folks’ home can stir up all kinds of negative feelings.

So how do you get off on the right foot once you’ve agreed to stick out your neck? According to one market research company, Age Wave Communications, a California-based company that tracks the mature market, the five best things grandparents can do to make grandkids happy are: take them out to eat, have a sleepover, go shopping, play games, and watch TV together.

via Marsha Temlock: Grandparents Vacationing with Grandchildren After Their Parents Divorce.