Human Development and Family Science
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Developmentally, one of the ways adolescents explore who they are is through romantic relationships. How adolescents approach these relationships is influenced by the relationships modeled around them. While some youth may have witnessed and learned about positive couple interactions from good models, many may have witnessed only poor models of couple relationships. Educational programs on healthy relationships can help youth develop skills to make smart relationship choices and avoid risky behaviors. This publication describes why relationship education is relevant to youth, and how UGA Extension can support schools and communities in providing youth relationship education that works.
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With both the demand and the need for broader offerings of RME, a large number of programs have been developed, presenting somewhat of a dilemma for practitioners who are interested in providing effective programming that is research-informed. Based on an extensive review of the research, this model presents key patterns of thinking and behaviors associated with healthy, stable couple relationships that can be taught in an educational setting. View the publication at http://www.nermen.org/NERMEM_Chapters.php
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Have you ever heard, “I’m bored!” from your grandchildren? What can you do with your grandchildren that will keep them entertained and learning at the same time? Watching television or movies and playing video games are easy distractions, but not the best solutions for boredom. What children want more than anything else is time with you. There are plenty of things to do that are entertaining, teach important skills, and give you and your grandchildren a chance to spend some fun time together.
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C 1284-13
Out-of-Home Care for Young Children
Combining grandparenting with full-time or part-time work outside the home can be challenging. Who will take care of your grandchildren while you’re at work? How do you find someone who will help your grandchildren learn and grow so they are ready for kindergarten? Choosing an out-of-home caregiver for your grandchildren is an important decision. It’s crucial that you feel comfortable with the person (or people) who teach and care for for your grandchildren when you’re not there. So how do you choose good out-of-home childcare, and how do you help your grandchildren make a smooth transition to another caregiver?
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C 1284-14
Disciplining Your Grandchildren
How do you teach children to behave appropriately, even when you’re not around? The key is effective, consistent discipline. Children are most likely to be well-adjusted when you combine warmth and love with clear rules and consistency. Your grandchildren need to understand that you love them, but they also need to know that there are rules they must follow and consequences for breaking those rules. Effective discipline requires lots of patience and understanding.
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C 1284-01
Moving Your Grandchildren into Your Home
Raising your grandchildren can be both rewarding and challenging. The transition to this new relationship can be stressful for the entire family. While your grandchildren are getting used to a new home and new rules, you must readjust to the responsibilities of parenting. The adjustment will take time and patience on everybody’s part. But with some planning, patience, and a lot of understanding, you can overcome the challenges of raising your grandchildren. Some of the most common challenges are discussed below, along with suggestions for making the adjustment process easier for the whole family.
Moving to a new home brings a variety of emotions and feelings for any child. Like adults, children grieve for the people, places, and things they are leaving behind. Your grandchildren’s move into your house also may be complicated by other stresses, such as the loss of regular contact with a parent.
Don’t be surprised if your grandchildren express sadness, anger, anxiety, or other negative feelings during the transition to your home. Treating your grandchildren’s feelings with sensitivity will help make the adjustment a little easier. Keep in mind that children of different ages will need different kinds of support to deal with this transition.
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When you take on the responsibility of raising grandchildren, you may have to navigate the tricky question of whether and how to help your grandchildren stay connected with their parents. For some grandchildren, video calls or visits with their parents may help them adjust to the change of living in your home. For other grandchildren, visits or calls may add to the children’s stress, or may put the children in a vulnerable position. Every family is different. You need to decide what will work best for your grandchildren.
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C 1284-03
Managing Your Stress
Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the time and effort you put into raising your grandchildren? When you’re caring for children, it may seem like there are not enough hours in the day. Because you are spending so much time taking care of others, you may have less time to do things you enjoy. But it’s important to take care of yourself so that you have the energy you need to care for your grandchildren.
Here are some ideas for how to take care of yourself by managing your time wisely, using relaxation and exercise, taking time-outs to regroup, and joining a support group.
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Handling death is always a difficult process. Experiencing grief stretches your emotional resources, and organizing details such as a funeral and burial requires time and planning. For some grandparents, the death of an adult child also means that you must accept responsibility for raising grandchildren.
The stress of so many changes at once can be overwhelming for the entire family. Many adults do not know how to explain a death to children, and are unprepared to help children grieve the loss of a parent. But with sensitivity and compassion, you can help your grandchildren learn to cope with the death, better understand their own grief, and find productive ways to express their emotions.
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