Human Development and Family Science
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As a grandparent raising your grandchildren, you may not have imagined being involved with the legal system. But if your grandchildren live with you for a long time, you may eventually need legal support and advice to provide the best care for them. It’s important for you to understand laws affecting grandparents raising their grandchildren. The following information is a brief introduction to the legal system as it applies to grandparents caring for their grandchildren. This fact sheet is NOT intended to substitute for actual legal advice. If any of these legal issues affect you, your first step is to seek advice from a qualified attorney.
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C 1284-08
Caring for Infants and Toddlers
As a grandparent, you may feel “out of practice” in caring for a very young child. It may have been many years since your own children were young. We know more now about how the brain develops and how to keep children safe. The number of “educational” toys and products may seem overwhelming. What’s a grandparent raising an infant or toddler to do?
The first step to caring for your young grandchildren is to relax. Even though we’ve learned more over the last few years about how very young children develop, children’s basic needs haven’t changed all that much. The basics that you gave your own children are still the most important things for your young grandchild: a warm, loving relationship; a safe, secure home; chances to try new things; consistent routines; and gentle, loving guidance. By providing a nurturing home for your grandchildren, you are giving them essential support that will help them grow into healthy, happy adults.
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C 1284-09
The Teenage Years
Have you noticed that being a grandparent changes when children become teens? Adolescence is a time of rapid growth in how teens look, act, think, and feel. With this growth, teenagers begin to need different things out of life. You will need to change your grandparenting style in order to meet the new needs of your teenagers. You may feel like you don’t know them anymore, but don’t be alarmed; most of these changes are very normal.
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Going to kindergarten is an important step in young children’s lives. As a grandparent raising your young grandchildren, you may wonder how to help your 4- or 5-year-old get ready for kindergarten. What do they need to be able to do? How can you help them learn the skills they need to succeed in school? The following information will help you prepare them for that important transition into elementary school.
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The goal of school is to prepare children to succeed in their academic, professional, and personal goals. Your grandchild doesn’t have to be the smartest child in the class to be successful in school; they just need to learn and grow. School success requires good study skills and habits, self-confidence, and the ability to make friends. Children are much more likely to succeed in school when their families support their learning at home. Grandparents sometimes wonder how they should support your grandchildren in doing their homework, how to help them feel good about their ability to learn, and what to do if they have trouble making friends. Here are some basic ideas for supporting your grandchildren in school.
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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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From the moment a baby is born, every experience taken in by the five senses helps strengthen the connections that guide development. No two brains are alike! Each child’s brain creates individual pathways of connections based on specific experiences. Here are some general tips you can use to help wire the brain for success.
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C 1053-02
Prime Times for Learning
Research in brain development shows there are certain windows of opportunity, known as sensitive periods, when certain parts of the brain develop most quickly. These windows are prime times for learning certain skills because the brain is ready to build networks of connections in response to what the five senses absorb. Here are some of those prime times, what to expect, and what you can do to improve brain development.
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