The Session: 7 Essentials For Grandparenting Your Grandchildren, from Focus On The Family

1. Understand Your Impact Potential

Grandpa or grandma, you are second only to parents in your potential to influence your grandkids spiritually.

If you haven’t thought about your impact potential before, you’re not alone. Many Christian grandparents are missing important opportunities because they haven’t seen the possibility—nor the responsibility—that grandchildren bring. We rightly see parents as first both in responsibility and potential to impact the spiritual growth of children.

2. Clarify Your Role

Whether we are one of six or by ourselves in this spiritual‐impact role, the mandate is clear: passing on faith to our grandkids is our duty before God! He commands us to teach two generations, not just one.

3. Model a Life of Goodness

If we have been obedient followers of Christ, it only makes sense that in the grandparent years, we are more like Him than we have ever been. Rather than becoming more cynical and cranky, we ought to become more gracious and godly. Doing so is vital: our children and grandchildren will largely base their impression of Jesus upon what we show Him to be through our daily lives. Don’t ever underestimate the fact that how you live your life will impact your grandkids. (Phil’s funeral)

4. Create Great Relationships With the Parents

Parents are the doorkeepers of the relationships with the grandkids, as they should be. But that relationship door sometimes slams in the face of grandparents. Divorce slams it. Political differences slam it. So do different spiritual paths. It’s slammed by wrong decisions, unkind words said in anger, or overreactions—sometimes by the parent, sometimes by the grandparent.

5. Balance Grace and Truth

We best represent Jesus to our families when we balance grace and truth. John 1:14 describes Him as “full of grace and truth.” It really means “full of grace and full of truth;” He was the complete embodiment of both.

6. Adapt to Your Grandkid’s World (This should sound familiar)

Last week when she came to visit, I told her, ‘if you can’t put your phone down, I’m taking you home!’ And a few minutes later, I caught her playing again—so I took her home.”

That grandma thought she was doing a good thing by being strict with her granddaughter, but I’m pretty certain she injured the relationship instead. You see, she wanted the little girl to enter “grandma world”—sit at the kitchen table, and talk over tea. What if she would have said instead, “Help me learn about this game that you like to play so much on your phone, and then afterward, let’s sit at the table and just talk?” The granddaughter would have felt honored, the relationship preserved, and the two of them would have enjoyed tea together There is no greater focus for the second half of life than that!

7. Find Your Greatest Life Purpose

There is no greater focus for the second half of life than that! Life’s greatest purpose is simple: to see our descendants in heaven.

To reach Tom Russell, go to https://www.heritagechristiancounselingofmansfield.com.