Can smart be sexy? Definitely! GRAND readers and editors agree: Dr. Phil McGraw’s rep as the nation’s go-to guy for good advice is all well and good, but the man is one fine granddad!
It’s easy to see why McGraw was chosen by so many to win this distinction. Despite his fame (everyone knows about Dr. Phil unless they’ve been off the planet for the last decade or so), he’s just so accessible.
McGraw’s presence is everywhere: TV, Web, blogosphere (Turning Point), FaceBook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube and every other type of media out there. But when it comes to being a new grandparent, he’s like the rest of us: enthralled with the baby and awed by the experience. And what’s more appealing than a handsome granddad proudly cradling a newborn baby?
Just in case you have been off the planet for a while, here’s your intro to Dr. Phil McGraw:
Best known as “Dr. Phil”, McGraw is a psychologist, best-selling author (newest book: Real Life: Preparing for the 7 Most Challenging Days of Your Life), and host of the Dr. Phil television program, which debuted in 2002.
He first gained celebrity status with appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show in the late 1990s. The format of his syndicated daily television show is an advice program, where he tackles a different topic on each show, offering advice for his guests’ troubles.
In 2003, McGraw announced the formation of the Dr. Phil Foundation, which raises funds to fight childhood obesity. That foundation also supports charitable organizations that help address the emotional, spiritual and monetary needs of many children and families. McGraw and his wife, Robin, are the national spokespersons for Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), which trains volunteers to watch over and advocate for abused and neglected children (click to see an excerpt of Dr. Phil’s show about CASA, “Caught in the System”).
McGraw became a grandfather on March 18, 2010, when granddaughter Avery Elizabeth McGraw was born to his son Jay McGraw and daughter-in-law Erica Dahm McGraw.
“There are 70 million grandparents in the U.S., with 5,000 baby boomers becoming grandparents every day,” says Christine Crosby, founder and publisher of GRAND magazine. “Readers admire yet also identify with Dr. Phil as representing the modern grandparent: active in the lives of their grandchildren and loving it – and yes, of course, being sexy too.”
Even before Avery Elizabeth’s birth, McGraw was welcoming the public to share in his joy as a first-time granddad. He posted a video of the time immediately before and after the birth, blogged poignantly about holding his granddaughter for the first time, and proudly introduced the baby (with new parents Jay and Erica, uncle Jordan, and new grandmom Robin) four weeks later on the Dr. Phil episode “Meet the McGraw Baby.”
“Avery Elizabeth McGraw” [from Dr. Phil’s blog, Turning Point]
“I’ve shaken a lot of hands over the years, but the most powerful handclasp I’ve ever experienced in my life took place a few days ago when Avery Elizabeth McGraw, my new granddaughter, wrapped her hand around my little finger….
“We are definitely going to spend the next chapter of our lives being the best grandparents we can…. We have promised ourselves that we will be the kind of grandparents who are always short on criticism, long on love and respectful of her parents’ guidelines in shaping their daughter….
“And a friend said to me, after watching me grin with delight while little Avery Elizabeth snuggled into the crook of my arm, “That girl’s going to get more out of you than the IRS.” And why not? In just these few days, she’s already given Robin and me a feeling of joy that can’t be measured. And as time goes on, she will be giving us the chance to see the world again, through a brand-new pair of eyes.”