Catholic and Grandparenting

The latest in the series of “Catholic and…” books, this one focuses on the many challenges and opportunities of being a grandparent, either for the first time or many times. Lauri Przybysz and her husband, John, are the parents of six and the grandparents of twenty-one and “know a thing or two” about Catholic grandparenting because they’ve “seen a thing or two.” Here she shares that hardearned wisdom with other grandparents, warning them that “Grandparents today need to shift a little in their approach to the younger generation” while at the same time remembering that “Grandparenting is our special vocation and life’s work that God has called us to.”

Challenges (and Opportunities) of Catholic Grandparenting

• Grandparenting has changed since our grandparents did it. (But we can write our own job description.)

• Parents and kids have fast-paced lives that leave little family time. (So we can be a resource to assist busy and stressed parents.)

• We may be tempted to interfere in our children’s parenting. (Yet we can learn to practice prudence, humility, and patience.)

• Our grandchildren may not be raised in our Catholic faith. (And we can find new ways to model our faith to them.)

• Communication between generations can be difficult. (Still, we can discover ways to establish communications and build relationships across age differences.)

60 pages, paperback, $7.95, 978-0-87946-592-6, #1157

LAURI PRZYBYSZ is the Executive Director of the Christian Family MovementUSA and the President of the National Association of Family Life Ministers. She received the Doctor of Ministry from the Catholic University of America, specializing in marriage and family enrichment.