GRAND Magazine - September/October 2008 - (Page 56)

looking grand Elementary, my dear By Mary Duffy Back-to-school nights are not fashion ops I Keep the drama queen under wraps f our grandchildren work as hard in K-12 to learn what we did, they will graduate from high school 40 years out of date! That’s the stress modern progress is taking on children—they have to work two-and-a-half times as hard as we did to stay current. How can we help? Show our interest, be involved, and lead by example in showing that learning is not just the “job” of the child but a lifelong process to be savored and appreciated. Not only are we grands filling in at back-toschool nights for the working parents, but an increasing number of us, as the primary caregivers for our grandchildren, are the only candidates for meeting the teachers and touring the classrooms. Back-to-school nights are important events for children and grands: Our presence lets the children know how much we care about their daily lives—and, if they are expecting praise from a teacher, all the better! (On the other hand, if there are reports of trouble instead of praise, the sooner we know, the better.) While children tend to dress very casually at school (and, alas, so do some of their teachers!), we can’t let this be our guide. Our grandchildren want us to look nice; the main idea is to be a positive reflection on the children. This is not a stage for a drama queen (like me!—shades of my mother complaining that her mother, my grandmother, a ’20s flapper, embarrassed her by being too glamorous). Pants sets, simple day dresses, which are cool and back in style, sweater sets with skirts or tailored pants, well-cut jackets, etc., are always safe. Avoid denim, unless it’s what’s being called “career denim.” Remember, once again: This is not about us. It’s about our beloved little pumpkins. G More to the story: page 68. 56 GRAND SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2008

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of GRAND Magazine - September/October 2008

Grand Magazine- September/October 2008
Grand View:�Priceless
Contents
Isn't it Grand?: Picture Perfect
Winners!: GRANDparent of the Year
Grand Central
Toddler Town:�Grand-proofing
Ask Grand:�Two Tired
Tips on Teens: The Bar Mitzvah Trips
Just So We Know:�BPA Not Our BFF
Full House-Full Heart-Full Time:�Confessions of a Backyard Grand
Grandbloggers: It Takes a Village
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?
Family + Food = Fun
On the Cover: Nora Roberts A Fine Romance
Everything Was Fine Until You Showed Up
Happy Big Sister Day
Looking Grand:�Elementary, My Dear
All in the Family:�Pasta, Present and Future
Reunions:�Doubleheader
Inspirations:�Grandpa's Violin
Grand Bazaar
More to the Story
Grand Finale:�Long Ago Under the Sun

GRAND Magazine - September/October 2008