The year in grandparents
The best stories from my site and around the web in 2016.
Happy Chanukah!
A New Jersey family marks the holiday each year with lights, cookies, and a party in honor of a long-lost matriarch.
“If your grandparents are still alive, embarrass them and yourself”
Ask your grandparents questions about themselves before it’s too late, urges novelist Michael Chabon.
Where do the happiest grandparents live?
Older adults in the United States enjoy greater well-being than younger ones, but they’re faring far better in some states than in others, according to a recent survey.
In Moana, Grandma knows best
You’ve probably heard about the latest blockbuster Disney movie and its teenaged heroine, Moana. But have you heard about her really awesome grandma?
Grandmothers, unite!
With Donald Trump, Mike Pence, and Steve Bannon headed to the White House, many of us are feeling powerless. We’re not.
The four-generation barbershop
Bob Townsend of Summersville, West Virginia practically grew up in the barbershop that his father opened in town during the Great Depression. Now, he owns the shop and employs his daughter, son-in-law, and grandson there.
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs: A grandpa’s very tall tale
This picture book celebrates both the bond between kids and their grandparents and the transcendent power of a story well told.
“Grandmammy was all the world to me”
Though Frederick Douglass was born into slavery, he was “a spirited, joyous, uproarious, and happy boy,” thanks to his grandma, who raised and protected him.
Happy Halloween!
Thanks to Craig and Tina Abernethy of San Diego for submitting this shot of themselves with their granddaughter, Calla, on Halloween last year.
A grandmother and her Girl Scouts
All the Girl Scouts troops in her California town were full, so Kathy Richardson started a new one for her granddaughter and her friends.
Ann Patchett dreams of her grandmother
In a beautiful essay, the novelist Ann Patchett recalls how she moved back to her hometown—Nashville, Tennessee—when she was 30, largely to care for her grandmother.
Back to school, with Grandpa
Melanie Salazar, 18, just started her first year at Palo Alto College in San Antonio, Texas, where her grandpa, Rene Neira, is completing his associate’s degree.
What do your grandkids call you?
I’ve been asking grandparents around the country what they’re called and why. Here are a few of their stories.
How can grandparents help kids with autism?
The monumental stress of raising a child with autism can be eased by grandparents, who are often “ideally suited” to provide parents with support, scholars say.
Welcome to The Grandparent Effect
Grandparents are healthier, wealthier, and longer-lived than ever before. What does this mean for us all?
The grandparents who raised an Olympic champion
When she was six, Simone Biles was adopted by her grandparents. Now, she’s the best gymnast in the world.
The truth about the American family
Contrary to popular belief, Americans are nearly as likely today as they were in 1950 to live in a multigenerational household, according to a new study by the Pew Research Center.
Grandparents are healthier than ever
Grandparents are healthier than they were 30 years ago, even though they’re also older, a Canadian study has found.