Young Grandmothers Online to Fight Terrorism

An Illinois man spends hours a day fighting terrorism at his computer. A. Aaron Weisburd tells The Washington Post that he and his network of volunteers have taken down as many as a thousand threatening websites:

"Weisburd is helped by a loosely organized group of volunteers. Among them are techies from Silicon Valley, Middle East experts, and more than a few women he described as 'young grandmothers with high-speed Internet in rural areas.'"

Go, young grandmothers!

Happy Birthday Emily!

Happy 2nd Birthday Emily, from Pop Pop and Mom Mom. Here's a recent photo of Emily along with mom Jennie and my fellow grandfather, actor Chuck Norris.

Faithfull Turns to Therapy

Young grandmother Marianne Faithfull is said to be so concerned about the loss of her looks that she has turned to therapy.

"Faithfull, now a grandmother, says it is impossible to avoid confronting the question [of aging]. Nicholas Dunbar, her son, whom she had when she was 18, is now the father of two children who, Faithfull says, are 'among her top priorities.' But in keeping with the egalitarian era that shaped her, she made a sharp critique of the double standards from which ageing male rock stars appear to benefit. She believes she is asked about being a grandparent only because she is a woman."

Clinical psychologist Kathleen Cox is quoted by the London Sunday Times online as saying, “If you focus on what you are losing, the loss is greater. If your face is your fortune, your loss is harder. Faithfull doesn’t seem to have moved on. Why can’t she be a granny pop star?”

New Sleepover Concerns

Thanks, Michael Jackson. You've given parents and grandparents a whole new level of anxiety over what used to be a favorite American childhood pastime: the sleepover. Now many adults are worried about the implications of letting a child sleep in someone else's home.

"While it's important not to overreact to the potential dark side of sleepovers, parents should still err on the side of caution, said Dr. Pepper Schwartz, a professor of sociology at the University of Washington in Seattle and past president of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality."

Some parents now say they only permit young children to sleep over with relatives, including grandparents.

Your Grandchild's Car Seat May Be Installed Incorrectly

When I was a toddler, I remember riding in the front seat of my Mom and Dad's big green Packard -- standing up. If Mom had swerved to avoid a squirrel, I would have put my eye out on one of the stainless steel radio knobs.

Thankfully, these days babies and small children must be strapped into well-made car seats in the back seat. But how do you know if your car seat is installed correctly? There' s a very good chance yours is installed incorrectly.

"The seat should not be able to move more than an inch along the belt. Next, make sure the lower anchors and tethers are properly attached. Another big mistake experts say they see is a harness that is too loose. Gina Duchossois, of the Safe Kids Coalition said that to prevent the harness from falling off the child's shoulder, you should pull the retainer clip up and put it at the child's armpit level. The retainer clip keeps the harness on the child's shoulders."

Jane Fonda, Grandmother

She's on a book tour promoting "My Life So Far," and while most people will remember Jane Fonda for going to Hanoi, or for "Barbarella," or for being Mrs. Ted Turner, she is also grandmother of two (ages 6 and 2). Here she is with Bill "Pop Pop" and Hillary "Mom Mom."

When You're Cut Off From Your Grandchildren

The Washington state Supreme Court has ruled that parents are not required to provide grandparents visitation with their grandchildren:

"The Washington State ruling this month involves a case brought by Christian Appel, the father of a 12-year-old daughter. He and the girl's mother parted after she was born, and he and the baby lived with his parents in Germany.

In 1997 Mr. Appel moved back to Washington, and three years later his daughter went to live with him and his new wife. When his mother petitioned for visitation rights, the court ruled that she has no right to court-ordered visits.

It termed the state law unconstitutional because it presumes that visits with a grandparent are in a child's best interest, even if a parent opposes the visits."

Help Your Grandkids Go To Private School

Can you help finance your grandchildrens' private high school education? You sure can, by using a "Coverdell Education Savings Account."

"A plan participant (parent or grandparent) can put in up to $2,000 per child per year. You can continue funding the plan until the child is eighteen years of age. The funds in the plan can be used for grades kindergarten through college."

The Club Sandwich Family

According to The Washington Post,

"The traditional three-generation family has morphed into four generations: young children, active parents, active grandparents and frail, older relatives. Many children today can expect four grandparents to see them into adulthood. In this hierarchy, two strong middle generations are available to take care of the dependent generations at opposite ends of the life span. Instead of the sandwich generation, it's a club sandwich family."

Active young grandparents are playing a vital role in raising the children of their children:

"Increasingly, grandparents are stepping in as a solution to the normal stresses of raising a family when both parents work."

Is Your Grandchild Who You Think He Is?

Some students at Penn State are finding out, through DNA tests, that they are not who they thought they were.

"Samuel M. Richards, who teaches Sociology 119, Race and Ethnic Relations, to 500 students each semester, said the DNA tests, which were conducted last year for the first time, were very popular with the class. 'Everyone wants to take the test, even students who think they are 100 percent one race or another, and almost every one of them wants to discover something, that they're 1 percent Asian or something. It's a badge in this multicultural world,' he said."

"Professor Mark Shriver explained that although a great-great-grandparent would contribute on average 6.25 percent of a person's genes, any one ancestor might be represented at a higher or lower level in today's generation."

No "Grandma" or "Granny," Please

Young grandparents want younger-sounding names, according to Cox News Service. "Today's grandparents -- especially baby boomers -- want young-sounding, informal titles."

Out are names like Grandma, Nana, or Granny. In are alternatives like Nanny or Pop or Grammie.

Alan "Papa" Zullo, co-author of "A Boomer's Guide to Grandparenting," says there is a "new cachet" of grandparenting, now that people like Billy Crystal, Harrison Ford, Tina Turner, Sally Field and Goldie Hawn are grandparents.

Grandparents, kids share common foe

The Cleveland Plain Dealer's John Campanelli reports that his parents have been abducted: "In their place were people who no longer cared if screaming kids ran through the house with muddy shoes or filled up on popcorn or left the table without being excused."

Is the truth to be found in the classic quip from writer and humorist Sam Levenson? He said, "The reason grandchildren and grandparents get along so well is because they share a common enemy."

Grandparents Raising More Kids in Delaware

More grandparents in Delaware are raising their own grandchildren.

"Many don't know that, simply because they are the primary caregivers with custody or guardianship of children who are not their own, they are automatically eligible for financial assistance from the state."