By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
7 ways to approach the art of 'grandparenting'
Placeholder Image
There are now approximately 80 million baby boomers in America, according to the United States Census Bureau, and many of them are grandparents.

And with the ever-rising life expectancy averages, many of us will be grandparents for 30 or 40 years or more. Whereas people used to hope to live long enough to become grandparents, we now plan on living to see our grandkids graduate from college, marry and produce great-grandchildren for us.

With this extra time, many grandparents are adding to their definition of what grandparenting is and thinking about how the role can take a more central place in their lives.

This has certainly been the case with us. We recently welcomed grandchildren Nos. 30 and 31.

Several years ago, as we were trying to formulate just what our goals and plans should be for grandparenting, we noticed that despite the thousands of parenting books available, there were very few grandparenting books. So we began collecting our thoughts and started on a jointly authored manuscript.

We realized that what grandmothers need and want and the way in which they think of their role is quite different than what grandfathers want. Both grandparenting roles are important but also different.

However, many of the most important things apply to both grandpas and grandmas. A few of the key things that we believe apply across the board are:

1. Set goals concerning how much time you want to spend with grandkids, then make plans about the ways to organize that time most effectively. Find a balance between too much time and too little time.

2. Strive for an individual, unique relationship with each grandchild that represents the individuality of that child and makes him or her feel special.

3. Understand that the best thing you can be to small grandchildren is their buddy. For elementary kids, strive to be their champion, and for adolescents and teens, be their listening, nonjudging consultant.

4. Meet with the parents (your children) to discuss and brainstorm how each grandchild is doing. Work together in deciding who can do what to meet each challenge and opportunity. We have found that families that take this two-generation teamwork approach deepen relationships as they work out what is best for each child and who is the best parent or grandparent to work on it.

5. Be the connecting link that informs your grandchildren of their great-grandparents. Kids who know about their ancestors, who have a real family narrative, are more resilient and have a stronger sense of identity than those who do not.

6. Be a gatherer. Be the one that gets the extended family together and who facilitates strong bonds between cousins and between kids and their uncles and aunts.

7. As your financial situation allows, be a facilitator who helps out intelligently and in consultation with parents to meet your grandkids' needs. Some kind of matching grant for educational opportunities and other worthwhile things can make a big difference.
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
93cbd7a5475cccd1cee701424125d3abaa9b4beaa58d3663208f656cbbbd7661
A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers. - photo by Herb Scribner
It turns out checking Twitter or Facebook before bed is bad for your health.

A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers.

That process can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, according to the researchs extract.

Blue light is a common issue for many modern Americans. Blue light is emitted from screens, most notably at night, causing sleep loss, eye strain and a number of other issues.

Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said our constant exposure to blue light cant be blocked by the lens or cornea.

"It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop, he said.

Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease that often affects those in their 50s or 60s. It occurs after the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Those cells need retinal to sense light and help signal the brain.

The research team found blue light exposure created poisonous chemical molecules that killed photoreceptor cells

"It's toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves," said Kasun Ratnayake, a Ph.D. student researcher working in Karunarathne's cellular photo chemistry group. "Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they're dead, they're dead for good."

However, the researchers found a molecule called alpha-tocopherol, which comes from Vitamin E, can help prevent cell death, according to Futurism.

The researchers plan to review how light from TVs, cellphones and tablet screens affect the eyes as well.

"If you look at the amount of light coming out of your cellphone, it's not great but it seems tolerable," said Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Some cellphone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea."

Indeed, Apple released a Night Shift mode two years ago to help quell blue lights strain on the eyes, according to The Verge. The screen will dim into a warmer, orange light that will cause less stress on the eyes.