GRAND PARENTING
GRAND PARENTING
PART 111
PROTECT YOUR GRANDKIDS BY TEACHING THEM VALUES
BY : RICHARD EYRE & LINDA EYRE , CO-AUTHORS , TEACH YOUR CHILDREN VALUES
Editor ’ s note : This is article 3 in a three-part series on Grandparenting . Some of the content of this article is taken from Richard Eyre ’ s forthcoming ( September 2017 ) book Being a Proactive Grandfather .
WE LIVE in a world where grandparents live longer than ever before ; and a world where grandkids need their grandparents more than ever before . With more parents working and too busy to give kids all that they need and to teach them all that they need to know , the only ones who can step into the breach are the grandparents .
And grandparents who do step in and step up are the happier and the more fulfilled for doing so .
We speak and lecture often to audiences that include a lot of grandparents , and the most frequent question we get is how to make a difference . It comes in various wordings , but the essence is , “ What is the most meaningful and lasting thing I can do for my grandkids ?”
And we give a pretty specific answer :
The most important and consequential thing you can do for your grandchildren is to teach them VALUES !
Think about it : We all want to protect our grandkids , yet we can ’ t always be with them , nor can their parents . We want to protect them from physical danger , from bad choices and decisions , from being influenced too much by their peer group , from substance abuse and early sexual experimentation . If kids really internalize certain basic and universal VALUES , they will make the right decisions and choose the safe path .
We have a little experience with teaching values to kids and we want to share it with you . Our book Teaching Children Values became a New York Times No . 1 Bestseller and led to a yearlong media tour that included Oprah , Donahue , The Today Show , Prime Time Live , and for a while a regular segment on the CBS This Morning show . The reason the book continues to sell is that all parents and grandparents want their kids to embrace and live the universal values that will make their lives full and that will protect them from bad
20 SUMMER 2017