GRAND Magazine - Fall 2024 - 8

grandparents rights
Please know that you are not in this alone. There are, unfortunately, a lot of
grandparents facing these same challenges. There is an army of grandparents
like me that understand. We are walking alongside you and are here to do
what we can to help you through this time. I proffer that " Life is complicated.
Family life is a multiple of complicated and extended family life is exponentially
complicated. " I think it is especially important to keep this in mind if you
are going through being restricted or alienated from your Grandchildren. Give
yourself some Grace, gather your courage, and find the appropriate resources
to do all that you can do to reconnect with your Grandkids. They deserve it;
You deserve it. I conclude with some sound advice from Winston Churchill.
These are two of his famous quotes combined to make this sage advice.
The primary consideration is supposed to be " the best interest of the child. "
I say " supposed to be " because, in some states, the laws seem to defy that
principle. I have written in
my books that " sometimes logic and law are strange bedfellows. " When grandparents
seek rights to be involved in their grandchildren's lives, it is important
to consider the state in which the grandchild resides, as it determines the rules
for gaining grandparental rights. It's crucial to have standing in the court to
file a petition and to convince the court of the significance of your relationship
with your grandchild. Your history with the grandchild, as well as documentation
such as videos, pictures, and letters, can hold weight in the court's
decision. Litigation is, while not impossible, the most daunting, expensive,
and least rewarding of the paths to spending time with your Grandchildren.
If it is your only recourse, that is one thing. I will offer that those of us in the
Grandparenting space are finding unconventional paths and experts that specialize
in the Reconciliation of seemingly hopeless cases of family dysfunction.
We are finding that even though this is also difficult to do, it is much more
productive and lasting than litigation.
One organization, Grandparents Academy, grandparentsacademy.com,
presents a Reconciliation Summit each spring. This is a gathering of the top
experts in the field of grandparents reconciling with their families.
Your grandchildren are worth it; You are worth it.
"
8 GRAND FALL 2024
" If you're going through hell, keep
going and never, never, never give
up. " - Winston Churchill
"
Great, Great Grandpa Neil is a lifelong youth advocate
and retired youth minister. He is a public
speaker and the published author of
four books on grandparenting. He is the
founder of caringgrandparents.com and
goodtogreatgrandparenting.com. Neil
awakes each morning brimming with
energy and enthusiasm. He feels his mission
is to connect with as many people as
possible while spreading his Joy to everyone
he meets. He calls it channeling Mr. Rogers.

https://www.facebook.com/GRANDmagazine https://www.grandparentsAcademy.com https://www.amazon.com/GOOD-GREAT-GRANDPARENTING-Meaningful-Connections/dp/B0CZDH1JTC#:~:text=https%3A//www.amazon.com/GOOD%2DGREAT%2DGRANDPARENTING%2DMeaningful%2DConnections/dp/B0CZDH1JTC%3F%26linkCode%3Dll1%26tag%3Dgrandmagazi0d%2D20%26linkId%3D4afeba03f8a8e2f2c8e3e300272278a8%26language%3Den_US%26ref_%3Das_li_ss_tl http://www.caringgrandparents.com https://www.goodtogreatgrandparenting.com

GRAND Magazine - Fall 2024

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