Four Surefire Ways To Be A Better Nana – Find the Balance
BY CANDI RANDOLPH
Here are four surefire ways to be a better Nana, because Nanas (or Grandmas, or Mimis, or Memes, or Meemaws, or Gigis…you get the idea, the endearments go on and on) can play a very important role in their grandchildren’s lives.
Do you know what the definition of ‘surefire’ is? It means “certain to succeed“. Let’s take a minute to see how we can go about being the best Nanas.
Becoming a parent dramatically changes your life and your perception of Life – with a capital L. It can be overwhelming to care for your little ones and yourself, and carry on life’s other responsibilities. But you know what? We all do it, and our kids turn out okay. So we must be doing something right as parents.
When you become a grandmother, the situation is different. Of course, you will care for your grandchildren, but your responsibilities are not those of a parent. As a Nana myself, I can confidently say that it’s really awesome! I get to love on my grand kids, have a great time with them, help care for them, and then give them back to their parents.
You are there to set a different kind of example to children, from infant through the teenage years, and even beyond. Indeed, as a Nana, you are just as much a role model as parents. Some would even say that you can’t afford not to be a guiding force in the development of your grandchildren. Here are some tips on how to become the best Nana you can be.
Who is the Nana of today?
The answer is not straightforward, or one size fits all. But one thing is for sure, the grandmother of today is a lot more active and involved in day-to-day life than your grandmother was.
My grandma was an Italian immigrant who came to the U.S. in the early 1900’s. Her life consisted of many hours in the kitchen, baking bread every morning, canning tomatoes, preparing the pasta dishes….it was all about the food!
I will always remember her delicious meals and the love that went into them. My grand kids won’t see me in the kitchen for hours because that’s not who I am (although I have a couple of special recipes I love to share). They will see me working, running a business, but also making time for family, including them.
For me, it’s a long distance relationship so our time together is limited. Even so, when Nana is with them, it is all about them. My business activities take a back seat to time with the family. Traveling to see them takes up a significant part of my budget, because I am the family member who lives a distance. So I go to them much more often than they come to me. But it is worth it to me, every penny spent, to see my family, the little ones in particular.
If you’re retired, that’s great! But remember that sometimes even the social activities or sports can become an obsession. If you have the time and live near your grand kids, give them priority over other activities. They grow up so fast, and they will not only remember the time spent (or not) with them, they will also be influenced by what you did and the decisions you made.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR – CANDi RANDOLPH OF INSPIRE MY STYLE
Midlife Blogger aging naturally & living a healthy lifestyle, casually fashionable with fresh style & home decorating ideas. Living daily by faith. And, I’m a coffee snob.
I was born in 1955 (you do the math), a Baby Boomer, in Detroit, MI, and raised by wonderful Christian parents. I have been so blessed to be with such remarkable role models who helped shape my life. We were a typical Midwestern family.
My children, 2 amazing boys, were from my first marriage. They are both married and have blessed me with 4 beautiful grandchildren. Grand kids are the best! Love them, adore them and give them back to their parents. I am their ‘Nana’ and absolutely love it!
A 25 year career in banking was a large part of my life through my 1st marriage and raising my kids. I was a single parent for 5 years, sharing custody with their dad.
After the banking career, I began working with a friend in the design business, an area of my life that I had not realized was such a passion until that time. I graduated from the Sheffield School of Interior Design in New York and was on my way!
A Wonderful Season of My Life
Then I met Randy, my soul mate, best friend and love of my life. We met at church, introduced to each other by my brother. After only 2 weeks of dating we knew that God had brought us together and we would remain together for the rest of our lives. We waited 6 months to get married for the sake of our kids and families.
We had some wonderful adventures together…ups and downs for sure…not a perfect life as some would describe. But we had a memorable journey:
- owning a building company
- blending a family
- building log homes
- owning a log home company
- traveling and spending time in Florida
- owning a 2nd home in Florida
- losing it all in the economic down turn
- starting over together in the Sunshine state at the age of 50
- creating a simple life together as we were both working and starting our own businesses
- experiencing the stress of a spouse who is living with chronic pain
- finding our way when my husband could no longer work because of his ongoing physical issues
- then…saying goodbye to my man on New Years Day, 2016
It was a very difficult time in my life, but I continued on and put all my efforts in my Home Staging and Interior Decorating business. 24/7 basically, which is not the healthiest thing to do, but that and my faith in the Lord got me through the first couple of years.
Last year I made two life changing decisions. First, to start this blog, which I’ll tell you a bit about below. Second, I decided to phase out my Florida business and I moved back to Michigan to be closer to my family
Inspire My Style…a Midlife Blog
When it came time to decide on the focus of my blog, I had a decision to make. The obvious path was to stay with my expertise in home staging and design. I know it, I’m really good at it, and I can write about it. And I started to do that, and then I stopped.
Why? Well, the passion for writing was lacking. It felt like work to me, and on the one hand, yes, a blog is a business and is a LOT of work.
But on the other hand, I knew that I should be fired up and passionate about my focus and topics. So I did some soul searching and realized that my life...my midlife journey...the ups and downs, the changes in my body, the family dynamics, the efforts I was putting into maintaining my health and fitness…THAT was my passion!
So, Inspire My Style was created.
This is my approach to life and how I create posts on this blog: I’ve always believed in moderation in all things, and that is how I live my life.
- My overall appearance and weight have remained essentially the same since in my 20’s. Well, except for the gray hair, wrinkles, and crepey skin
- Searching for ways to help keep me looking younger while not spending thousands of dollars is always on the table.
- I don’t love to shop, am not interested in spending a lot of money on clothes, but I do have a definite sense of style.
- I love a good cup of strong coffee and a chilled glass of white wine, preferably chardonnay. I enjoy some of both on a daily basis.
- I work too much, but owning a business tends to take over your life in the busy seasons. Thinking about what to do after I retire…
- My creativity, home staging and interior decorating experience is something that I love to share, and you’ll see that here in a variety of ways
- I’m sharing my experiences aging naturally and living a healthy lifestyle
- Relationships, faith, family, friends, healthy living…these are essential elements for any woman in her 60’s.
I’d like to help others be inspired to live as stylish women, gracefully embracing the aging process.
Find much more on Candi’s blog here