Happy Grandparents’ Day! Today is the day we should honor and recognize our grandparents for the contributions they have made.
And for some grandparents in Arizona, that means recognizing the significant role they play in helping to raise their grandchildren. Whether as a result of the parent not being in their child’s life or due to a parent having difficulty providing proper support, grandparents have become the primary caregivers or legal guardians to over 100,000 children in our state.
So how can you ensure that becoming a “second-time” parent means you will raise healthy grandchildren? Times are different than when you were first raising children and as a grandparent, you might be concerned that circumstances that impacted your children may also impact your grandchildren.
One such concern is the increased availability of prescription medications and the number of kids using these drugs to get high. Playing the parent role in your grandchild’s life means going beyond the typical grandparent/grandchild relationship of fun, games and spoiling them rotten. Be aware of the dangers your grandkids are facing at school and the potential for exposure to drugs. Educate yourself on the signs of possible drug use.
As in any household, holding family meetings is a helpful way to improve communication. Be encouraging and instill strong ethics in your grandchild to work hard and make good decisions. Statistics show that kids are up to 50% less likely to use drugs when they learn of the dangers from their parents (or grandparents).
Help keep Grandparents’ Day as a celebration of the joy you have as a family and take a moment to help your grandkids stay drug-free.
