Did you read this article? The article tells grandparents to 'tap into their creativity' to provide for their grandchildren, such as the grandparent who works a second job to pay for her grandchild's medication, and it is condoning the unfairness. Strangers who raise the children being given all of the money/resources they need while elderly grandparents are told to just work extra jobs to provide for them and that's viewed as a good thing.

OH my God! Kat you are so right! I could not believe the ignorance exhibited in this article. I did send them a searing comment on issuing an article without researching first. Kat is right, gramma, read the article. We need to get the word out there but it needs to be right. By the way Kat, I have submitted today to Oprah who is looking for "superwman". I stated I represented a group of superwomen, grandmothers who are raising their grandchildren. Hope it gets her attention!

I agree too....it had bullshit written all over it *ugh*...I wanted to reach out and smack the hell outta whoever wrote that crap!!!

Oh daisy I hope you hear back on that....you're right...we are all superwomen here for sure!!!

I just went back to that article and sent them a searing comment myself...gave them a few choice words and then some....can't believe the nerve of some people...what were they thinking? geez....

That damn article pissed me off. Why should a grandparent have to work 2 jobs to pay for their grandchild's medication? This person has no idea what they are talking about. Obviously, they have done no research whatsoever about this. Like Kathy, I sent a few choice words.

How did you guys send something to this moron that wrote this. I could not find anything to click on.
This person was missing the whole point of what it takes. Stupid person giving us advice on play etc...... Like we were just beemed down from Mars and have never done this before.
Just like the other day a women that I know said, (we were talking about our case) why is the mother trying to ge her back when she refuses to straighten up, well for that matter why are you guys fighting for her???????????????????????????? I am still so floored!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nobody seems to understand!!!!!
The women that wrote the story. Yea it would be nice to just be a grandma to these children and "just play" BUT that right has been taking from us!!! We no longer get to be a granddma, we are the parents now.
Stupid stupid stupid people!!!!

Yeah no kidding Jade...like the 73 year old granmother in that article working 2 jobs just to pay for grandchild's medication...I was disgusted....and it pissed me right off how many stupid people out there writing about something they know jack shit about...and people giving their moronic opinions when they have no clue because they aren't living it....whoever wrote that article should be ashamed of themselves....they obviously did NOT do their research....and we wonder why people are so ignorant about our situations....they need a wake up call and a reality check....I've got their reality check at the end of my foot...right up their ass for being so damn stupid.

First of all, Jade. It's none of that person's business why you are fighting for your grandchild. There are ignorant people all over just dying to give their ignorant advice to people who are hurting.

Secondly, on article. In my research, I found that over the U.S. the majority of grans raising their gc are middle class whites! And 80% of them are carrying the financial burden themselves! Yes, there are pockets of metro areas or specific states where the numbers are different, but if you look at stats for all of the states you can see that grans taking in grandkids is not exclusive to any one race, religion, or economic backgroud. It struck me the universalality of the grans. We are more grans than we are white, black, asian, indian. We are more grans than poor, rich, and in the middle. We are all grans whether we are Evangelists or Jewish. We are all grans and helping our grandkids is number one! I will keep you all posted if I hear back from this "family" group and also on Oprah! Maybe we will all meet at an Oprah show on Grandparents Raising Grandchildren! At least that is my dream, an audience full of grands and kids. We'll see what happens!

I clicked on the 'contact us' at the bottom of their page, and this is my comment to them:

As a grandparent raising a grandchild, I found this article not only out-of-touch, unresearched, but also offensive. We do not need advice on how to play with our grandchildren nor do we need to be told how to work extra jobs to pay for our grandchild's medication. I worked full time and spent my evenings caring for my disabled mother while my husband also worked full time plus a part time job and sold blood twice a week so we could take care of our grandchild. We receive $215/month which does not even cover the cost of food for a growing 15-year-old yet our local newspaper is advertising for foster parents that the County will pay $1,800 per month if they would take my grandson instead of us.

We need advice on how to get our government to recognize our contribution and provide some monetary help so we do not need to use our retirement funds to support our grandchildren. We need advice on how to find not only the time and energy for some sort of social life after working full time and running the grandkids around to their various activities but also advice on how to find friends when we have nothing in common with others our age - they are going on cruises while we're going to parent-teacher conferences. We need advice on how to juggle caring for both our grandchildren and our aging parents at the same time while still working full time and spending the money we should be saving for the retirement that we will never have because we are raising our grandchildren. Why aren't the children's PARENTS told to work two jobs to pay for THEIR child? Why are strangers given more resources and funds than the elderly grandparents and this article not only ignores but applauds that fact?

Well said Kat!!!! BRAVO!!!!!!!!!

This is what I sent.............


I read the on-line article written about a Grand mother raising grandchildren.
I found it to be upsetting to say the least.
As a Grand mother raising a grand child for the last 4 years.
My husband and I are young grand parents, so many are not. But it has been one of the hardest things we have ever done.
For one we were fianlly at an age and financially we could travel etc....
But many twist and turns happen at the point 4 years ago that has changed our life totally.
Something you have to understand, we as Grand parents not only have the cost of raising the kids without any help, we also have the cost of lawyers bleeding us dry because (in our case) even thou the mom is still uing her drugs keeps taking us back to court to take the child back. And nothing is ever done to put a stop to this nightmare. We have went through $200 thousand dollars. Our savings is gone, the court has never made either parent pay child support nor ordered it. Most cases they are not going to pay any child support if it is not ordered by the judge.
Not only should there be help for us, laws need to be changed and inforced.
Arkansas law states that after 12 months if the changes have not been made,that by the 18th month the rights of the parents are to be terminated. Why isn't it being done?
While a person can have a animal taking away from them for abusing it and spend time in jail are have to pay fines etc.... But let a person abuse a child, they are giving ever operatunity to screw the child up more. Animals have more rights then children do.
While we do everything the law and judges say the parents put us through hell. My story alone would make your hair stand unend.
No I do not need to know how to play with her, or read to her. Remember we all just went through this,(with our own children) we know what to do. That is why we are doing it and not the parents.
We have been kicked aside for a long time.
Here is some info.....
California....625,934 grand children living with them.
Arkansas......50.286 children living with Grandparents
Florida.....258,982
Tennessee.....4.5 million
Illinois....213,465
The list goes on......
This is not a small problem by NO means.
If you really want to help, help us get in touch with those that can help us get these laws changed.
As I said my husband and I are young compared to many grand parents and GREAT Grand parents. It is crazy that after all these years that the laws have not been changed.

Thanks Jade

I also emailed a lady that came in here last year and wanted to write a story about us, I replied to her at that time. Anyway I invited her back here and ask if she would want to write an article about getting some laws change.So hopefully she will contact us via here in a few days.

I was talking to my neighbour this afternoon about that stupid article....there's a radio talk show guy here named Jeff Allen...he has his own radio show here in my town...and she knows him...so she is going to call him and see if he could give me some air time...at first I was so excited....then I thought...oh shit I have to go this alone...AHHHHHHH....but hubby re-assured me once I got talking I'd be ok...then the verbal diareah will set in...lol...I'd be much better on the radio...nobody can see me...just hear me...it might take her some time to get a hold of...he's quite busy....she said to give her a few days and if she still can't get a hold of him she will go down to the radio station with me....I really hope he feels this is important enough to give me some air time...let's keep our fingers crossed.

Great kathy! I know radio is hard because you get no feedback from people who are listening. Suggestion: make a list of important points you want to make and if you catch yourself drifting, go back to those points. I'm sure you'll do fine. Keep us updated!