About this item
Are you one of nearly 3 million grandparents across North America raising your grandchildren as part of a grandfamily? You may have done all this parenting stuff before, but times have changed since you raised your own kids, and you likely never thought youd be raising kids again.. What has led to all these family issues and the growing need for grandparents to step up? Now more than ever, substance use and addiction have made many birth parents simply unfit for the job, whether the problem is alcohol, opioids, or other drugs. Family dynamics might also be undermined by parents mental health or medical problems, incarceration, or a simple lack of preparedness for family responsibilities. Whatever the reason for your new role, you must now help your grandchildren adjust to their extended family as part of their everyday life, through the best care you are able to provide. While your new role means that you will likely have to change the way you live, the kinship care you provide your grandchildren might make all the difference in the world. In The Grandfamily Guidebook - which leading medical experts have called a "must-have" resource for grandparents raising grandchildren - authors Andrew Adesman, MD, and Christine Adamec offer expert medical advice, helpful insights gleaned from other grandparents, and data mined from the 2016 Adesman Grandfamily Study - the broadest and most diverse research study of its kind to date. Youll also find hands-on tips youll be able to reference whenever you need them, including how to cope with difficult birth parents, school issues and social-life challenges, problem behaviors that stem from a difficult past, and your own self-care. Starting with its foreword by the renowned Dr. William Sears, across this book you will find practical, inspiring help as you navigate the financial impacts, legal considerations, and medical issues that commonly arise when grandparents and grandchildren start becoming a grandfamily.
About the Author
Dr. Adesman is a developmental pediatrician with more than 30 years experience evaluating and treating children with a broad range of developmental and behavioral disorders. In terms of his academic background, Dr. Adesman is a Professor of Pediatrics at the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. He has authored many research and review articles on developmental problems in children. In addition, he has written two books related to adoptive parenting and a book focusing on common parenting myths. As a parenting expert (and a national spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics) , Dr. Adesman is very often interviewed by major print and broadcast media about various parenting controversies, developmental concerns, and child health issues. Dr. Adesman has repeatedly been recognized as a "Best Doctor" in New York Magazine and other publications, and since 2015, he has been recognized by Castle Connolly as a "Best Doctor in America". Dr. Adesman is married to a pediatrician, and they have three children. He is always grateful to his children for teaching him the things he did not know as a pediatrician and for making him look good as a father.
