Be The Best Grandparent You Can Be!

How to cope when family politics affect your relationship with your kids and grandchildren

- Stephanie Hope

There are so many benefits to being a grandparent. You can watch your grandkids grow and pass on a few words of wisdom learned from raising your own children. However, parents and grandparents sometimes disagree about how kids are raised.

Catherine Weir, head of the family law department at Melbourne legal firm Williams Winter, and Annie Gurton, a Sydney-based psychological therapist, talk us through some common scenarios.

Why you matter

Having a strong relationship with your grandchildren benefits old and young. “For the children, it’s an opportunity to connect emotionally with caring adults other than their parents,” says Annie. “For the grandparents, there is a deep sense of their lives feeling worthwhile and meaningful.”

If you’ve been told you spoil your grandkids, that’s perfectly OK! “We all need to feel special, and the kind of indulgence that grandparents provide is good for our sense of worth,” says Annie. “They are also usually very good at teaching manners and courtesy.”

With more than 30 years working in family law, Catherine has witnessed her fair share of grandparents needing legal assistance.