All Blog Posts (18)

Let's face it. Americans need jobs. Americans are willing to work; to re-program themselves to qualify for jobs in new areas. The current crop of presidential candidates all provide lip service that jobs is their first priority. The administration has said the same. But none of these people has come up with a sure fire way to increase employment. Enter Diane Sawyer.  Sawyer and her staff did the research and found out that many items made in America were the same price or only slightly…

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We're coming up on school vacation week and there's something very important that I forgot to mention in the earlier blog about libraries.  No, I'm not suggesting that you pack up the grandchildren and haul them off to a day at the library. While a quick visit to acquaint them with what the library has to offer is OK, you should also look to the library as a resource for discount and free admission passes to area museums and other attractions.  Last week, we visited a local art museum and…

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With all the electronic media and games available these days, you might have forgotten about one of the best resources in your community...the public library.  In fact, when was the last time you visited your local library?  Once row upon row of books in racks, surrounded by deafening silence, today's library has morfed into a vital link between GrandBoomers and their grandchildren.  Books are still a mainstay, but now you'll find large areas dedicated to music CDs, videos for everything…

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From time to time, GrandBoomers will make editorial comments on major concerns affecting GrandBoomer life.  The availability of Social Security in the future is one of these items. Here, we feel, is a solution. Your feedback is welcome.

Social Security (FICA) has now moved to the forefront of things GrandBoomers have to think about. Some in Washington want to cut benefits. Others claim the system will be bankrupt not too far down the road. No one seems to want to address the obvious…

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Yes, even Grandparent GrandBoomers have iPads.  There's a wealth of information out there and one of the easiest ways for GrandBoomers to have it all at their fingertips is to invest in an iPad or iPhone.  Part of the fun is going through the app store and searching for apps that interest you. Many are free and those that cost are usually only a dollar or two.  You might want to research iPad/iPhone games your grandchildren might like...or check out the ones they've already downloaded. There…

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According to a recent study, the use of social networking by Baby Boomers has nearly doubled—from 22% to 42% over the past year. More baby boomers have a computer at home with internet access and they use technology to remain connected with their children and grand children. Do you have a grandboomer friend that still does not own a computer?

Grandparents Day falls on the second Sunday in September. This year, that date is September 11. September 11 will always be one of the most siginficant dates in American history...not because of National Grandparents Day, but for the catastrophic loss of life at the Twin Towers in New York City. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the horrific event and we will all pause to pay our respects to those who died at the hands of ruthless assassins. Among the thousands who died were, no doubt,… Continue

How time flies.  When we first started GrandBoomers as a forum for young grandparents, one of the major concerns of Grandboomers was what the grandchildren would call them.  GrandBoomers in their forties and fifties were universal in feeling that being Grandma or Grandpa made them sound old.

And now, 15 years later, GrandBoomers are reaching retirement age.  How to enter that stage of life? Many grandchildren are in high school. Grey hair is creeping in.  Maybe so, but GrandBoomers…

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In a report just published by the Associated Press-GfK, a poll baby of baby boomers finds that they believe by a ratio of 2-to-1 they won't be able to rely on the Medicare health insurance plan throughout their retirement. This comes as the first baby boomers will be old enough to qualify for Medicare on January 1, 2011.

According to the poll, forty-three percent say they don't expect to be able to depend on Medicare forever. Only 20 percent think Medicare is secure. The rest…

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The incidence of diabetes in children is increasing in the United States. Grandboomers can help their children recognize the…

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Grandboomers hardly need an excuse to have a good time with their grandchildren, but this Sunday there’s a little more reason…it’s National Grandparents Day. Here’s some background on how NGD got started, compliments of Wikipedia:

National Grandparents Day is a secular holiday celebrated in the United States on the first Sunday after Labor Day. It is celebrated in the United Kingdom on the first Sunday in October.

Marian Mccardy of Oak Hill, West Virginia, has been recognized… Continue

Let's face it Grandboomers, we're getting older. No longer are the grandchildren only infants or toddlers. Some are now in their teens. In view of that, we have received permission from the National Association of Insurance commissioners (www.naic.org) to…

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Grandboomers are entering (or already in) that phase of life when information about maintaining a healthy heart and vascular system becomes vital. Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center's CardioVascular Institute, in Boston, has just published the first of a bi-monthly eNewsletter that can be helpful to you. You can check it out at:… Continue

If you’re a baby boomer and don’t have grandchildren, but would love to be a Grandboomer, consider becoming a foster grandparent. By sharing your love, time, and experience, you’ll help a child who needs you. If you’re 55 or older, you can participate in the US…

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Considering a trip to Denver in the fall. Looking for suggestions on where to stay that's somewhat out of the ordinary.

Now that we’re Grandboomers, we’re also at an age when medications become a part of our regimen. When visiting the grandchildren or having them at your home, keep your meds out of sight of the children and don’t take them in front of the children. Young ones have a natural…

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Young Infants

Young infants follow objects with their eyes. They explore with their hands, feet and mouths. They begin sitting and crawling

• Put your grandchild to sleep on his or her back in a crib with a firm, flat mattress and no soft bedding.
• Make sure your crib is sturdy, with no loose or missing hardware; used cribs may not meet current safety standards.
• Don't give…

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If you are a Grandboomer planning to visit a newborn in a hospital, best check the hospital's policy during this time of H1N1 flu pandemic. Many hospitals are limiting visits to such sensitive areas to the spouse.