Karen L. Rancourt, Ph.D., author of It’s All About Relationships, New Ways to Make Them Healthy and Fulfilling, at Home and at Work, is a leading authority on intergenerational relationships, specifically the dynamics and issues among grandparents, parents, and grandchildren. In her “Ask Dr. Gramma Karen” books and columns, she provides research-based information, insight, and practical ideas to guide parents and grandparents to various solutions that can best resolve their particular conflicts and concerns.
Love, Harmony, and Family Connections
Grandparents play a unique role in children’s lives – they are family, but without the constant responsibilities parents bear in raising children. This leaves grandparents free to wear many hats in the family, from fun-loving playmate to mentor to family historian, just to name a few. In fact, it is striking how often the word grandparent comes up in my research and in discussions I have with adults about their favorite childhood memories.
Still, issues and problems can and do erupt between generations, usually based on miscommunication, erroneous assumptions, or unrealistic expectations. Left unaddressed, such problems fester and disrupt relationships. The antidote: motivation to explore conflicts with honesty and an open mind and a willingness to use new and proven ways to resolve them. Doing so fosters resolutions that strengthen strong intergenerational bonds and connections grounded in love and harmony, a benefit to everyone – especially the grandchildren.
