Tomorrow (Sept. 8) is National “What” Day?
National “Grandparents” Day! Yes — that’s a real holiday!

To some, National Grandparents Day, instituted in 1978, might be just another holiday concocted by marketers to pad the coffers of the floral and greeting card companies.

But to those of us who hold dear that special grandparent/grandchild relationship, it’s a wonderful reminder to express love to one another and thank God for our families.

And lest you think it costly to do that, remember — we’re in the digital age now, so we can escape being held hostage by those pesky marketers because we have access to FREE online greeting cards, with FREE online floral arrangements, complete with music and dancing bears! Now we can celebrate all those special days without SPENDING anything, just SENDING our love!

We have lived through National Grandparents Day on multiple levels — first as grandchildren, then as parents and now as grandparents. But it’s not till now that we’ve considered this day from the grandparents’ perspective. What, really, are we celebrating?

Relationships. That’s the essence of family. We have molded and shaped one another’s lives. Grandparents: Whether we realize it or not, and whether we live nearby or far away, we play a crucial, irreplaceable role in our grandchildren’s lives.

How to celebrate?

Verbally — Share your love.
Physically — Share your hugs.
Visually — Reminisce over photos.
Prayerfully — Thank God for the incredible blessings of children and grandchildren.

So treasure and deepen those relationships each day, seeking to grow closer to Christ together, knowing that our true treasure is in Heaven. Have a blessed time tomorrow — celebrating National Grandparents Day.

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” — Matt. 6:21

Because We Love Our Grandkids!

[Photo: Grandparents, parents and grandchildren enjoy a day together focusing on family discipleship at the Turning Hearts Celebration in Kalona, Iowa.]

There’s a reason the phrase, “Because we Love our Grandkids!,” became the slogan following the ministry name, “Grandparents of Homeschoolers.”

• We are all from different life situations, but we are united under one umbrella: We ALL LOVE our grandchildren!

Fresh off the conference season, with speaker workshops and an exhibit booth at homeschooling conventions, we at Grandparents of Homeschoolers are more excited and convinced than ever of the importance of grandparents engaging in the discipleship and education of their grandchildren.

That’s why we minister to grandparents AND parents, connecting families with ideas, encouragement, information and resources to help make this home education adventure the richest experience of your life!

It has been delightful to meet so many of you personally at conferences and others via our website contacts. You have shared sincerely and candidly, and your stories have been both heartwarming and heartbreaking. That’s real life. The joys and the sorrows. Yet all of you are unwaveringly meticulous and focused on the very same thing: loving those grandchildren!

We look forward to sharing your ideas and testimonies to encourage one another, so let’s get to know each other now. Here’s a snippet of who Grandparents of Homeschoolers are:

• Grandparents who live near their grandchildren and are able to spend physical time with them, doing things together regularly.

• Grandparents who live a long distance away who are finding creative ways to be fully engaged with the grandchildren and keeping those close relationships despite geographical barriers.

• Grandparents and parents who have moved to different cities and states in order to be closer to one another.

• Parents who both work full time and are able to have their children homeschooled because of Grandpa and Grandma’s involvement.

• Parents who are discovering the joys and relief from stress that they experience when the grandparents help with their children’s education, whether it’s teaching a skill, helping to purchase educational supplies, or taking the kids on a field trip.

• Grandparents who LOVE the fact that their grandchildren are being homeschooled.

• Grandparents who are skeptical of homeschooling. Yes, we welcome you to be a part of Grandparents of Homeschoolers because we can relate! Many of us once thought that homeschooling was the craziest idea on earth. Now we wouldn’t trade it for anything. We believe you will be surprised and amazed to discover what home education really is (it’s different for every family), and we know you have so many valuable skills to contribute … not to mention lots of love!

• Parents whose own parents are no longer living, or who are estranged, but the family has found surrogate grandparents in their church or community — non-related elders who have taken a special interest in being a grandparent-figure to their children.

• Grandparents who are raising and homeschooling their grandchildren.

• Grandparents who are homeschooling their grandchildren part or full time while the parents are at work.

• Families in which the grandparent(s) live with the family.

• Grandparents who are helping teach a special-needs grandchild.

• Grandparents who are in their 40s and still working; and grandparents who are retired.

We could go on and on. The stories that so many of you shared with us at conferences, whether with overflowing exuberance or quiet tears, have confirmed what we already had suspected: the world of being a grandparent of homeschoolers opens a literal floodgate of multifaceted opportunities to fulfill your role as that very special person in the lives of your grandchildren. You are an important part of what God has designed — multi-generational family discipleship.

Stay tuned as grandparents from across America and around the world share encouragement and ideas that you can incorporate with your own grandchildren — “Because We Love Our Grandkids!”