How To Really Love Your Grandchild by Dr. Ross Campbell, M.D.

I'm not a grandparent as of yet, but I found this book fascinating! Dr. Campbell presented ideas and thoughts that never would have dawned on me, and this is a vital resource for this generation of grandparents!

In "How To Really Love Your Grandchild", Dr. Campbell opens with two hooks: a list of his own grandchildren (as well as his co-author's) stating what grandparents mean to them, and a chapter titled "New Grandparents for a New World".

I read this thinking of my own parents, both now home in Heaven; how in the world would they navigate a world with MySpace, Facebook, IM'ing, texting, and all the other new technology that faces this generation? Poor Mom couldn't hardly use her cell phone to dial 911!

When you add to that the fact that many grandparents find themselves in the role of parenting their own grandchildren, you can clearly see the need for this book. Dr. Campbell discusses grandparenting from a distance, something my sister-in-law is struggling with right now.

He offers advice to those who are in positions to either help raise or to fully raise their grandchildren and I saw some mistakes I made when my children were little as I read his counsel. What a difference this would have made to my family in those days!

Dr. Campbell also advices grandparents on taking care of their own health, something too many older adults forget as they spend their lives caring for others. This chapter was especially informative for me, as my oldest step-daughter is 28 and my oldest daughter is 21.

More topics discussed at great length are: the love your grandchild must have, the anger your grandchild expresses, the discipline your grandchild needs, and the protection your grandchild craves. In such a hectic world with a multitude of things pulling our attention away from our families, grandparents can play a huge roll in helping with parenting...

...but it must be done in conjunction with the parents if it is to succeed. This is a message frequently repeated in Dr. Campbell's book, and it is one that needs to be taken to heart in every home.

Do yourself a favor...do you have children? Buy this book as a shower gift for Grandma (she'll boil it down for Grandpa). Do you have grandkids? Buy two copies and share with your children. Don't waste this opportunity to do as Dr. Campbell describes in his closing chapter...The Legacy of a Grandparent.

He even graciously includes a section titled "Five Ways to Get the Most out of this Book"...start there. You'll be glad you did. And so will your grandchildren and your children.

I'm giving "How to Really Love Your Grandchild" the golden bookmark for publishing excellence and a golden pacifier as a charm. This book is published by Regal, and is so worth the investment. And aren't your grandchildren worth it as well??

Happy Reading!