Every day I write to 100,000+ grandmas about the things we don't always say out loud: grandkids who grow too fast, phone calls that end too soon, and the small joys that make it all worth it.
With love, Devoted Grandma ♡
Join the daily letter — it's free.
the one everyone's been writing to me about
When our grandchildren were little, a few weeks apart could feel like forever. As they get older, those gaps sometimes stretch into months or even years. Then, finally, there they are at the door. We…
A simple answer-first pattern can help Grandma invite a genuine conversation without making a grandchild feel questioned or pressured.
I like to think my grandchildren can tell me anything. The funny things. The embarrassing things. The things they haven’t quite figured out how to say. But I also know that loving a child doesn’t…
A simple try-notice-reply habit helps you show that your grandchild’s interests matter, even when their recommendation is not quite for you.
A reusable two-path plan helps Grandma protect the warmth of a visit when her energy, or her grandchild’s, changes.
There’s a certain confidence in the way a grandchild says, “Ask Grandma.” Has a toy stopped working? Ask Grandma. Someone needs a costume by tomorrow? Ask Grandma. Life has become terribly unfair because a parent…
Use one warm line before or after a grandchild’s freely shared plan to show encouragement without checking the outcome or requiring a reply.
Sometimes, being Grandma means knowing things other people don’t. We hear about the crush, the friendship trouble, the disappointing grade, or the dream they’re almost too shy to say out loud. Those little conversations can…
Have you ever had your hair done, put on a new outfit, and waited for someone to say something? You weren’t expecting applause. Just a little “Oh, that looks lovely!” would have done nicely. Our…
A completed example, gentle questions, and a reusable card can help families settle ordinary visit preferences while keeping parents, safety, and household rules in their proper place.
We, grandmas, have our own little wish lists, don’t we? Another afternoon with everyone around the table. Another photograph where somebody isn’t blinking. Another chance to hear, “Grandma, guess what!” But our grandchildren may have…
Small, thoughtful choices can help a grandchild feel known and respected while parents and grandparents keep the boundaries that matter.
Ten adaptable messages and a quick chooser for reconnecting after life gets busy, without asking your grandchild to explain the silence or reply right away.
Sometimes, I think the hardest part of being a grandmother is having so much love to give, and so little say over the calendar. We’re ready for the visit. We’ve bought their favorite snacks. We…
There was a time when a visit from Grandma could turn an ordinary afternoon into a celebration. They ran toward us, handed us something sticky, and immediately began explaining a game with fourteen rules they…
A warm, adaptable invitation helps Grandma offer real connection while giving a grandchild two choices and honest permission to decline.
“Other Grandma lets us eat in the living room.” Well. There you are, holding a plate of carefully sliced apples, discovering that your sofa policy has come under review. Sometimes the comparison is about cookies.…
Use this quick chooser and ten adaptable texts to reopen the door after an everyday misunderstanding, without blame, guilt, or pressure for an immediate reply.
“I want to come, Grandma. Just not for the whole weekend.” Oh, that little word just can sting. We might have already planned their favorite dinner, put fresh sheets on the spare bed, and bought…
“Grandma, I already told you.” Oh, those five little words. Sometimes they come with a laugh. Sometimes an eye roll. And sometimes there’s a little disappointment underneath them that makes us wish we could rewind…
Ten adaptable messages and a quick chooser for staying connected while your grandchild is away, without asking for constant updates or assuming they are homesick.
There are so many things I love about fall. The colorful leaves. The cozy sweaters. The perfectly reasonable excuse to bake something with cinnamon in it. But getting a grandchild to laugh? That beats even…
