Divorce is increasing in the United States, including in Arizona. In fact, some statistics say that the national divorce rate has reached almost 50 percent. With the disintegration of families, children often suffer in the process. Hence, there is a need for grandparents to play a more significant role in the family. For example, there is the case of two grandparents who love their grandchildren very much.
In this case, the grandparents’ relationship with their grandchildren changed after their daughter died. Their son-in-law remarried and moved out of town with the children and allegedly refused to let the grandparents see their grandchildren. With grandparents’ visitation rights at stake, the grandparents seem powerless.
That type of situation is indeed a sad one for grandparents who are deprived of a relationship with their grandchildren. A survey says that the bond between the grandparent and the grandchild is as important to a child as the bond between a child and a parent. The importance of a grandparent in a child’s life should not be undermined in any way. A grandparent needs to be as close to the grandchild as possible.
Grandmothers need to remember a few things. First, it is important not to be competitive with the child’s parents in order to gain the attention of the grandchildren. No family is perfect. If there are problems, the grandparent should not be afraid of speaking about those issues. Also, the grandparent should take advantage of grandparent visitation. When the grandparents are with the grandchildren, they should talk to them and listen to them. It is important to remember that a grandparent is an important member of the family and spending quality time together is essential.
Staying in touch with the grandchild is also important. It is particularly important if the parents are divorced and the grandchild lives with one parent exclusively. In that case, the grandparent may need to approach the court for visitation rights.
Source: State Bar of Arizona, “Understanding Divorce,” accessed May 19, 2015
