It's almost universal–parents all over the world tell stories about how they tried to help their grown children only to find their assistance was taken as criticism. Here's my latest story, from a pediatrician I met from Sweden.His grown son and wife live a few blocks away. Now that they have a baby, the doc and…

When my children were young, my mother lived in another city. I always thought her visits were the joy of her life. She was widowed and I saw her visits–she planned them; they lasted three weeks each time–as a welcome break to her loneliness and to her routine of playing bridge and canasta with her…

If there's one thing most of us know (or should), it's that there's one place our advisory counsel should not go: Suggesting to our grown children that they have a baby. Or asking them when. The opening line of such forbidden dialogue would start with, "It's time." I say this because I remember it happening…

The economy's been brutal, and especially so on the generation that's just getting started on its careers and on those the next rung or two up. We who have retired or are close to doing so are probably in better shape–despite losses in the 401k. So it's not surprising that a recent poll by Grandparents.com…

When our grands were 1,2 and 3 years old, and again when they were 2,3, and 4, we spent our summer vacation by renting a large condo in Vermont and inviting both uber son and his two children and alpha daughter and her one to stay with us. All of us–under one roof. My reasoning…

I spent a weekend with Alpha Daughter and her daughter. Alpha had to take part in a conference at a college that was a 4-hour drive from my home and two airplane flights from hers. She did not wish to be parted from her child for yet another weekend; her husband couldn't get away. I…

This harsh economic downturn takes it toll in many ways. Our 401ks may be lighter and tighter but our grown children face even grater perils: job loss, job change, job downgrade. Where they might have had full time nannies before, that is now a luxury. Or is it? Some of us are filling that gap.…

Alpha daughter and her daughter have come home for a visit–a long weekend. The Grand is six–not a difficult age. We don't have to watch her like a two-year-old. We are not tied to naps or strict schedules. We can go out to dinner together and enjoy ourselves. She can come to our office and…