GrandLoving: Making Memories with Your Grandchildren

As the Grandmother of six very special little people, I know the excitement of becoming a grandparent. I remember how I longed to be a significant person in each of their lives. I was elated when I discovered my first copy of "Grandloving". It was filled with wonderful ideas of simple things to do for or with my grandchildren. I was able to use the book as a blueprint for building and maintaining a close relationship with my grandchildren even from a distance. The activities are not only surprisingly simple, they require minimal time, energy, or money, yet are highly effective and fun. I was recently surprised to find the new 5th edition is even better. It adds another dimension to communication by including fun , easy things to do using cell phones, Internet and visual technology-all presented in in a non-threatening manner that even we "technology-challenged" grandparents can understand and execute with enjoyment. I thought the previous edition to be "perfect" as evidenced by the numerous literary and parenting awards and number of copies sold. Now I believe even perfection can be improved upon. The new edition has convinced me that for these authors, it's not simply about writing and selling books, they are truly on a mission. A mission that will help this generation of grandparents have the closest, most rewarding relationships with their grandchildren ever. If you already have "Grandloving" treat yourself to this new improved version and pass your old copy on to a friend or library. If you have friends or family who have grandchildren this is the best gift you could give them. This book will help them experience a closer bond with their grandchildren than they ever imagined, it will bring them personal joy and fun in their golden years, and it will help them create wonderful memories for their grandchildren. Catherine Bilyard, Family Nurse Practitioner and grandmother of six

As a grandmother of a four year old, I have declared "Grandloving" a great discovery. I only wish I had found it prior to my granddaughter's birth. The book gives tips for grandloving your grandchildren from babies to teens. In addition to tips, "Grandloving" is chock-full of ideas for art projects, crafts, child friendly recipes, and easy, fun activities. The fifth edition offers a new chapter on using technology to bond with your grandchildren. It also has an all-new resources chapter, many new book recommendations, and much more.As a long-distance Grandma, I particularly enjoyed chapters three through five. They teach readers how to connect with the heart and mind of their long-distance grandchildren. These chapters offer a variety of creative and beautiful ideas for staying in touch and grandloving over the miles. Chapter 4 gives tips regarding what you will need in your home for various age groups and how to make the visit fun and relaxed. It offers over 50 activities that you and your grandchild can do together. Chapter 5 gives tips on how to be a `low maintenance' guest; how to have a warm, loving visit; and how to play with your grandchild on her level. There are over 30 activities for you and your grandchild to do together during your visit. The activities listed in chapters four and five are not specific to long-distance grandparents and grandchildren. They are perfect for any child and adult to do together. Finally, the over 200 fun and easy activities throughout the book have the potential to inspire additional ideas. Butterfly Kisses for Grandma and Grandpa

GRANDLOVING is my favorite go-to book for ideas when my grandchildren come to visit. I only see them once a year because they live in Alaska and I'm on the east coast. I want to keep them engaged in fun activities we can do together and this book is my source. It's also given me tips I continue to use for a long-distance connection. I've marked different activities to do for their next summer's visit as they continue to age and grow. The ideas and activities generated from GrandLoving bring happy faces and lots of fun times, and that's what I look for when I'm around my grands.

I bought this before my granddaughter was born. I have referred to it several times, most recently for ideas when my now 3 year old granddaughter was visiting. I like how it gives suggestions for all ages from infants to teens. I will be referring to it again an again as my granddaughter grows and after baby #2 arrives.

I will be a first time grandmother in April and was looking for a book where I could record information about my life. I write in one color of ink and my husband writes in another. We probably should have gotten two books but we are sharing. I don't like to journal so this helps me stay focused on a particular subject or question. I write just every few days and will be finished by the time the baby arrives.

I purchased this book, kindle version, hoping it would give me ideas on how to stay close to my grandchildren while living on the road as a full time rver. The reviews certainly made me think that there would be a wealth of information in this book to do so. Alas, I was greatly disappointed. Although, it did offer a few ideas that I could try & a few I could build on, I felt this book was mainly a game & craft oriented book geared toward little ones. It didn't offer much in the way of connecting with tweeners & teenagers. I also must admit that I found a majority of the games & craft ideas to be pretty cheesy too.In summary, I was vastly disappointed with my purchase.

Finding reading material on grandparenting is difficult so I was thrilled when I came across this book. Unfortunately, the information is outdated at best. The problem I have finding good "grandparent" material is that it is geared toward an older generation and to grandparents who seemingly have no technological knowledge whatsoever. If this is you...you may find this book helpful. However, I was becoming a first time grandma at 47 and found the information to be "common sense". It felt more like it was geared toward my grandmothers generation..and by the time your a great-grandparent..well you already know all of this stuff. Nice attempt, but nothing of value for me whatsoever.

Wonderfully encouraging because it gives you something concrete to work with, to be and keep connected to, your grandchildren, especially when it's a brand new experience!