At Grandma's Place

How uncomfortable are hiccups! And once you start, it's hard to stop.Yesterday, my grandson had them.. and, everyone was suggesting remedies. "They just won't stop!" he cried in frustration between hiccups. I suggested he try a spoonful of sugar. He laughed and said, "That's not going to work." I was pleased to note, though, that it did. So I checked, and a number of studies have shown that, yes, a spoonful of white sugar will stop hiccups in 95% of cases. Researchers haven't been able to figure out why the remedy works, but they think that 'the sugar may irritate the throat so that the nerve impulses that cause the hiccups are interrupted'. It's interesting to note that many of the simple, old remedies and solutions for common problems are being proven accurate. Maybe gran does know best. Have you come across any true 'old wives tales' recently? What about a nice hot bowl of home-made chicken soup when you're feelin

I had been debating the purchase for some time. After all, it meshed perfectly with the typical image of a grandma, but did I really want that image? It turned out, I'd timed the purchase perfectly. As I staggered in with the over-sized box from Ikea, (yes, I know I'd vowed never again to attempt another flat pack from Ikea) I began to feel a little uncomfortable, almost unwell. Overtired, I expect. But as I stood back to admire the completed rocking chair, even the pleasure of realising that all the pieces did, indeed, fit could not dim the knowledge that yes, my grandkids had definitely shared their recent bout of gastro with me. I felt most unwell. One of the inevitable consequences of caring for grandchildren is the real likelihood of contracting their illnesses. I certainly made good use of that rocking chair as I recovered. C.S.Lewis once noted, 'Though I get no more tired now than I did when I was younger, I take much longer to get un-tired afterwards.'

Grandparents of today are a different breed. Gone is the image of the little old grandma seated in a rocking chair on the front porch quietly knitting and watching the world go by. I was reading some interesting statistics about today's grandparents. 75% of those who are grandparents are online. 70% will use search engines to locate information. 63% regularly make purchases online. 46% bank online. 45% are on social media. The information didn't actually list any details about iPad usage but I've read elsewhere that 45% have downloaded 10 or more apps in a year. I know that my iPad is an integral part of my life. I'm rarely without it and it's not just to provide apps to entertain the grandkids, though I have different apps for the different ages of my grandchildren. So, I was questioning just what apps are worthwhile for grandparents today, for the Baby Boomers. The difficulty of course is that there are so many. For almost every situation you can imagi

It's been said that grandchildren are God's way of compensating us for growing old. Actually, I don't feel old. I know I am, of course. I have only to look at the awe and amazement on the faces of my grandchildren when I admit that, growing up, we didn't have colour TV to realise that, yep, I'm pretty old. I don't like to even suggest that .. shock.. horror.. the internet didn't exist then, either. No, I want to be more than just an item of curiosity for my grandkids. I want to be connected and involved in their lives, which is not that easy when the lives of today's families are so fast-paced and varied. But, I've found it doesn't need to be too difficult or time-consuming to connect- it just takes a bit of planning. For example, my oldest granddaughter, like many girls, enjoys crafts. That's something that we can share and do together. And it doesn't need to be an expensive activity or require too much  time and skill. Last week

I opened the car door and my grandson looked up, kicked his feet excitedly and reached out for me. It's wonderful to be given the opportunity to fill a part of my grandchildren's lives. It's wonderful when they wrap their arms around your neck, put their face against your cheek and give you a big hug. Since I care for them regularly, I like to be prepared and organised when they arrive. As much as possible, I stick with their normal routine and I like to let their parents know how we filled the day, what exciting discoveries they made and the funny things they said or did. On a practical note, I like to make sure that I'm clear about nap times, feeding times and any other individual requirements. I think that it's reassuring to be able to report back about these essentials, too.  So, I've designed a printable sheet that I can fill in with some of these details so that everyone is on the same page and nothing is overlooked in the care of these precious li

I was told that once I turned 50, everything would start to fall apart. So, I waited in fear and trembling for these dire predictions to be fulfilled. Helpful though it is, it probably doesn't help your peace of mind for government departments to begin sending through the reminders for health scans and checks, either. It certainly can be a little overwhelming. Thankfully, although I regularly adhere to the recommended health reviews, I have had no real concerns to date. I love that quote about grandchildren: 'If I'd known how much fun grandchildren would be, I'd have had them first.' I will admit, though, that I lack the energy that once I had, and looking after grandchildren can be exhausting. And whenever I forget something, misplace by car keys or find myself hesitating over level 2 or 3 in the supermarket car park, I question the onset of Alzheimer's. So... I was interested recently to take an online test by ShareCare and Dr Oz, 'What's your ac

I love to read books with my grand-kids and yes, it often means reading the same book again and again. I've lost count of the number of times I've read 'Where is the Green Sheep?' or 'Blossom Possum'. What books do you love to read aloud? Which books are you always asked to read again and again? Over and again, studies highlight the benefits of reading to your kids.For example, a study was made in Rhode Island Hospital to compare two groups of eight months old – one group was read to often as babies, while the other was not.  It was shown that those who were read to have their “receptive” vocabularies (number of words they understand) increased 40 per cent since babyhood, while the non-reading group increased by only 16 per cent.  Kimdoma is an app that enables you to read aloud with your grandchildren any night of the week, whether they live next door or kilometres away. The app combines e-books with video calls which means that you can share the book o