​Why clear boundaries are important to families

How would you feel if you received this message shortly before becoming a grandparent?
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“Hi everyone! Just wanted to let you know a couple of things we’ve decided about the first couple weeks after we bring home the baby. We want to have some time alone to bond with him, so we’ll let you know when we are ready for visitors. When that time comes, we ask that you be tested for Covid before visiting, and wash your hands before holding the baby. Also, no kissing him! Thanks for understanding.”

A text message like this lit up the message boards at Gransnet, and there were two distinct camps in the responses. A very vocal group was appalled that the mom-to-be had made such strict rules and conveyed them by text message to a large group of family and friends, instead of having a conversation with the grandparents-to-be. Another segment of the responders applauded her for being clear and direct with what she felt were important boundaries, and advised the grandmother to abide by the rules.

Clear boundaries in families can help you avoid ending up featured in Dear Abby. The advice columns are full of letters from parents seeking help about grandparents crossing boundaries, and letters from grandparents who don’t know what they’ve done to upset their adult children.  The young mother whose text message was shared on Gransnet was doing what all parents should: stating clearly what her boundaries were. 

Was a text message the best way to do that? For her, it clearly was. Maybe she didn’t want the pushback she knew she’d get in a conversation. Maybe she felt it was most diplomatic to make it clear everyone was getting the same rules and treatment. Maybe texting is just her preferred method of communication. For the grandparents, this is one of many, many instances where their way of handling a situation will be different than the way their adult children handle it. Different, not better or worse. This is the first rule of healthy grandparent boundaries: not judging what those boundaries are or how they are communicated.

New parents have so many things to figure out! Some of them don’t talk to grandparents about boundaries because they are still learning to see themselves as competent adults. Others just don’t know how to clearly communicate their boundaries. Often, it’s because they are afraid of upsetting their own parents or in-laws. They don’t express that they wish grandparents wouldn’t drop by so often/feed their kids junk food/buy so many toys because they know that grandparents are important. They don’t want to say something that might be misunderstood as criticism. How nice it would be if grandparents signaled their willingness to respect parent boundaries by initiating the conversation and asking what those boundaries are!

If there are no clear boundaries in your family, it’s likely that your grandchild’s parents wish there were. Why not be the one to start the conversation? New Grandparent Essentials includes a guided dialog to have with new parents about many of the hot spots of child rearing. Not a new grandparent? It’s never too late to improve your family’s communication. Clear boundaries are important to the health of families, and communication is the only way to know what they are before you bounce up against one.

If real estate comes down to location, location, location, having healthy family boundaries comes down to communication, communication, communication. Just keep in mind that some boundaries can be blurry as parents get used to their new role, and all boundaries can move with time. Making yourself open to communicating on the parents’ terms can help navigate those changes and work through any misunderstanding caused by unclear or changing boundaries. And that, my dear grandparents, will make your time with your grandchildren much more rewarding.
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Want help creating clear boundaries with your family?  See how New Grandparent Essentials can help you.
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​Including 40 ideas for things to mail to your grandchildren!

I consider myself incredibly fortunate to be a grandparent in the digital age. Don’t you? The tools we have for building relationships with our grandchildren are so far beyond what our parents had! Instantly shareable pictures, video chat, texting—they all add so much to our interactions with our grandkids, especially for long-distance grandparents. But even if you live in the same town as your grandchildren, you’ll want to keep this post bookmarked. It’s full of ways to make the simple act of sending a letter into something that will make your grandchild feel special.

There are three keys to making letters to grandchildren more fun, and none of them involve writing skill! You just need to think about the outside, the inside, and the surprise. What you write is almost unimportant if you use these three things to tailor your letter to your grandchild.
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THE OUTSIDE
Never underestimate the power of an exciting looking envelope. Use a bright color, or decorate a white envelope with a sticker or two. Get some fun stamps: I send letters to my grandkids with Sesame Street postage stamps I got at USPS.com. The UK Royal Mail site has stamps with Marvel characters among others that would appeal to children. Canada’s pickings are slimmer, but stamps change regularly, so keep checking!

THE INSIDE
Get some stationery that ties into an interest of your grandchild. Notecards can be found with all sorts of images. Does your granddaughter love dinosaurs? Get some dinosaur cards to send her notes on. Is your grandson going through a building phase? Print pictures of construction equipment and write on the backs. Amazon has all sorts of fun options. I’ve collected a couple of my favorites and are showing them below—just click on any image to learn more. I’m a fan of the Sanrio stationery sets, which have several characters with wide appeal. 

​THE SURPRISE
Not every letter to your grandchild needs to have a surprise inside, but there are so many fun things to send grandkids in the mail that it’s a shame not to include one! This doesn’t need to cost any money; many of the ideas to mail to grandchildren are things you can make or gather yourself. Here’s a list of 40 things that will fit in a regular envelope, with a few clickable images to make shopping easy. 

1. Band aids
2. Book plates
3. Bookmarks
4. Canceled stamps
5. Cartoons
6. Confetti
7. Coupons
8. Crosswords
9. Die cut images
10. Envelopes
11. Fake mustache
12. Flash cards
13. Fortune from fortune cookie
14. Friendship bracelet
15. Glow in the dark stars
16. Googly eyes
17. Hair ribbons
18. Inspirational quotes
19. Journaling cards
20. Labels
21. Magazine articles
22. Maps
23. Message written in invisible ink
24. Mini flags
25. Note cards
26. Origami creations
27. Paper crowns
28. Paper dolls
29. Photos
30. Play money
31. Poem
32. Pressed flowers or leaves
33. Recipes
34. Seed packet
35. Small notebook
36. Stencils
37. Stickers
38. Sticky notes
39. Temporary tattoos
40. Washi paper​

What else can you think of?
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Now that you’ve gathered your letter-writing tools, you do need to write something on your notecard or pretty paper. For a year’s worth of answers to the question “What should I write to my grandchild?”, go read this post from last month! Sending mail is an easy part of building a strong relationship between grandchildren and grandparents. Get started now!
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​February 6-12 is Burn Awareness Week. It’s a great time to make sure we are doing everything we can to keep our grandchild safe from accidental burns. #NBAW
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He was just starting to pull himself up on things, and one afternoon he tried to pull himself up on the oven while I was making dinner. The side of the oven door, which I’d never thought to touch, was searingly hot, and his little hand was badly burned. I will never forget the way he cried—the shrieks of pure pain that came from his little body. I felt like the worst mother in the world when we took him to the emergency room, but he bounced back quickly and healed without incident. Still, I was scarred for life! I am paranoid about children being near burn hazards.

Children have no concept of what “hot” means—unless they learn it the hard way, as my son did. That’s why it’s so important for caregivers to be extra vigilant about potential burn hazards. Grandparents, this means making sure your home is safe whenever your grandchildren are there, even if they are being closely watched by adults. I can tell you from experience, a child can burn themselves even with their mother standing two feet away.​

Tips for keeping your grandchildren safe from accidental burns in the kitchen
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Keep hot food and liquids away from children.

• Don’t hold a child while cooking or carrying hot food or drinks.
• Use a travel mug to drink your hot tea or coffee.
• Keep hot food and liquids away from the edges of tables and counters, and don’t use table linens which could be pulled on by a young child.

Keep children away from the cooking zone.

• Never leave the stove unattended while it’s in use.
• Make sure the handles are turned away from the front of the stove.
• Find out if your oven has external areas that get hot, and be extra vigilant if it does.

Food can burn, too.

• Test food temperature before feeding.
• Remember microwaves may heat food unevenly, so always stir well and test again.
• Avoid using the microwave to warm a baby’s bottle.  

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Tips for keeping your grandchildren safe from accidental burns in the bathroom

• Remember that a child’s skin is thinner and more susceptible to severe burning than an adult’s.
• Set your hot water heater below 120 F, or 50 C.
• Always check the temperature of bath water with your elbow or the inside of your wrist, not your hand, before putting your grandchild in the tub.
• Run cold water to cool off the faucet before you turn it off, and turn off the tap tightly. 

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Tips for keeping your grandchildren safe from accidental burns elsewhere in the house

• Never leave a child unattended in a room where a stove, fireplace, candle, warm mist humidifier or space heater is in use.
• Keep irons, curling irons, etc. unplugged and out of reach, especially after using them. Make sure their cords are also out of reach.
• Keep matches, lighters, candles, ashtrays, cigarettes, etc. out of sight and out of reach. 

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Tips for keeping your grandchildren safe from accidental burns outside the house:

• Never leave grills, fire pits, camp fires or patio heaters unattended while they are in use.
• Check for hot straps or buckles on car seats after your car has been sitting in the sun.
• Children and fireworks don’t mix. Don’t use backyard fireworks or sparklers when children are present. 

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Following these tips should ensure your grandchild will never experience what my son did. However, if the worst happens, make sure you know what to do for a burn. Remove any wet clothing, and run cool water on the burned area for 20 minutes. Don’t use ice, butter, creams or lotions. If the burn is severe, seek medical advice after initial first aid is given. 
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Find more valuable safety tips in the Baby Care and Safety section of New Grandparent Essentials, the best way for grandparents to be prepared for life's greatest adventure!

​Jambo Books: A New Source for Gifts For Grandchildren

​I love getting asked to review children’s books. Recently, I was asked if I would be interested in taking a look at a sample box from a subscription service called Jambo Books, and naturally I said yes!

Jambo Books started when the founders were searching for high-quality books starring children of color in situations where children’s literature rarely places them — making friends, raising pets, loving grandparents and fighting dragons. The stories show that people of color can star in stories that aren’t historical or cultural in focus. They focus on finding books that give our children a vision of the world we all want to live in — diverse, vibrant and kind.

Of special interest to grandparents looking for books for your grandchildren, they offer the opportunity to create a customized bundle around the specific interests of your grandchild. Do you have a history buff? A lover of pets, trucks, unicorns or fairies? You can email them with information about your readers and they’ll respond with selections just for you.

They offer book bundles and individual books, sorted by age, ethnicity and other themes. It’s a great place to look for diverse books, because each one is carefully chosen by people who understand that the stories we tell our children matter.

And then there's the Jambo Book Club. For $34.99 your grandchild will receive two gorgeous, high-quality books each month that star a child of color in a key role. I received a selection of three books aimed at the youngest children. They came in a beautiful box, and would have delighted any child who received a special package in the mail.

What I liked

I was immediately impressed with the quality of the books. These were not the cheaply produced subscription book club editions I got when my children were young. There were two very sturdy board books, Love is a Truck and Nerdy Babies: Ocean, and one simple picture book, Let’s Dance.

The books were thoughtfully chosen for babies and toddlers. The pictures were bright and engaging, and the non-fiction subjects were appropriate for babies, who can’t yet grasp abstract concepts or follow story lines.

The diversity went beyond the characters. For example, Let’s Dance included pictures of more than just the standards: hula, hip hop, and square dancing were among the styles of dance shown.

What I didn’t like

My only quibble is with the “Nerdy Babies” label on the book about the ocean. I wish it had been called “curious babies”, instead of trying to equate curiosity with being a nerd.  I imagine the author of the series is trying to celebrate nerdiness, but for me it feels wrong to apply any label to a child, especially one that is often used as a slur by schoolchildren.
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Jambo books is an excellent resource for grandparents who want to ensure their grandchild is exposed to books that celebrate the diversity of children. For more information, visit their website.