Wondrous Child The Joys and Challenges of Grandparenting

by Hough, Lindy; Isay, Jane

• ISBN13: 9781583943625
• ISBN10: 1583943625
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-03-27
• Publisher: North Atlantic Books

Summary

A Santa Cruz postpartum doula, a New Hampshire flute-maker, a Zen teacher, a dance therapist, a Sri Lankan film director-these are a few of the grandparents who share their stories in this bracing collection. The essays cover a wide range of experiences as they examine the marrow of this often undervalued relationship from both the grandparent and the grandchild point of view. A common thread running throughout is the special importance of these relationships, which are often as complex and rewarding as the parent-child connection. Wondrous Childis divided into four parts. In Part One, ;Settling In, ; new grandparents survey the territory and describe their expectations. Part Two, ;Balancing Reality and Hope, ; takes a deeper look at some of the heartbreak that can occur, as well as complexities: step-grandparenting, spanning geographical distance, the surprise of children living with grandparents. Part Three, ;Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, ; explores men and women parenting their grandchildren in the absence of parents. Part Four, ;Grandchildren Remember ; is written by grown grandchildren who catch the tone and feeling of this special person in their life. These vivid essays will appeal to both grandparents, as a celebration of their place in the family, and new parents curious about how grandparents can contribute to their children. From the Trade Paperback edition.

Author Biography

Editor Lindy Hough is coeditor of the anthology Nuclear Strategy and the Code of the Warrior and author of five collections of poetry, including Wild Horses, Wild Dreams. Raised in Denver, Colorado, she lives in Berkeley, California.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. ix
Foreword	p. xi
Introduction	p. xvii
Settling In
Wild Thing Baby	p. 3
Following Fifi	p. 4
In the Order of Things	p. l5
Talking about Race and Gender	p. 23
In and Out of Step	p. 30
The Whirling Heart Dance of Grandmothering	p. 34
Carving Paths in Snow	p. 44
Listening to Leo	p. 57
Balancing Reality and Hope
Evolving as a Grandmother	p. 67
Grandparenting with a Broken Heart	p. 72
Professional Grandma	p. 76
Confessions of a New Step-Grandparent	p. 84
Love through the Distances	p. 93
Four Generations of First-Born Daughters	p. 102
TwinsùDay and Night	p. 110
The Accidental Grandmother	p. 123
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
A Heart's Perspective	p. 141
An Explosion of Love	p. 149
The Grampy Diaries	p. 155
A Legacy of Parenting	p. 168
My Grandkids Keep Me Young	p. 177
Being There for a Child Forever	p. 186
Grandchildren Remember
Hark, the Moaning Pond	p. 195
Calling Clotilde	p. 211
The Collapse	p. 220
Grandmother's Lap	p. 299
The Russian Album	p. 235
Angels Gather Here	p. 247
Obaachan: What Do You Want to Do?	p. 255
Contributors	p. 263
About the Editor	p. 269
Permissions and Copyrights	p. 270
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