You may be happy to chip in for everything from baby carriers, tricycles and rebounders to school tuition. But you may not have given as much thought to nutrition. The best gift you can give your grandchild is the gift of health. Your health and theirs. You’ll enjoy that investment for the rest of your life.

I was raised by a single mom. We lived with my grandparents, who I call my co-parents. (I think I turned out okay!) That was unusual 80 years ago, but not so much anymore.

Grandparents today have more meaningful roles in their grandkids’ lives. Many are taking on caregiving responsibilities. There are more extended families living under the same roof. Here in California, the trend is for young couples to build small homes for their parents in their backyards.

This is helpful for the grandkids and their parents. It’s also good for you, the grandparents. Becoming involved in your grandkids’ lives gives your own life more meaning. Studies show this can help you live longer and live better. he gift of health. Your health and theirs. You’ll enjoy that investment for the rest of your life.

I write a lot about how to get children, especially picky eaters, to consume more nutritious meals. A good diet is essential for their brain development as well as their muscles, bones and other parts of their growing bodies. As grandparents, you can have a huge influence on what they eat.

I’ve been a pediatrician for more than 50 years. Today, I see a lot more grandparents during office visits. The good news: They are generally more savvy about nutrition than parents. The bad news is that they waited too late. Some of my grandparents will say, “Dr. Bill, I’m 60. I’m frail. I have weak bones. I wish I’d started eating better when I was younger.”

It’s never too late, no matter what your age group. Not only can you generally make improvements in your own health, but sharing that information with your kids and grandchildren will be lessons learned by future generations. These can be full-circle moments.

As grandparents, we share stories. We pass down traditions. We should also be passing along nutritional wisdom. Here’s how I would approach this.

Explain to parents why it’s important to start young. If you preload grandkids with good nutrition when they are young, their minds and bodies will be ready to handle things that happen later on.

Be very diplomatic. Sometimes you just have to say to their parents: “I love our grandchild so much! I just want to prepare him/her to be strong in the future.”

Offer to handle some of the food costs. Parents will tell me, “But Dr. Bill, healthy foods cost more!” Enter you, the grandparents. You can say, “Honey, don’t let financial considerations impact your shopping list. We will make up the difference.”

Restock the pantry for your grandchildren and yourselves. Ship healthy ingredients to the kids. Or, leave them behind after you’ve been watching the grandkids. One of my favorites ingredients is Healthy Heights Kidz Protein shake mixes, which are designed by pediatricians especially for kids. In addition to shakes, they are great to use as an ingredient to add important nutrients to other recipes. Not only do children need more protein, you do as well. The number-one health concern of grandparents is frailty. You need more protein for your own muscles and bones!

Involve your grandkids in food preparation. Our 4-year-old grandson loves to help me make smoothies with Grow Daily shake mixes. He adds a fistful of blueberries and kiwis, and he loves to scoop the shake powder from the bag. You want to do things with your grandchildren, not for your grandchildren. When they are involved, they are more likely to want to drink it or eat it.

Be proactive. Help grandchildren learn cooking skills. Encourage them to be active. Have conversations about food. Post healthy reminders around the house. We have tips you can download on our website. Search “healthy reminders” on AskDrSears.com. 

Be a healthy role model. Foods that are low fat or low carb are not good for children or adults. Serve smart fats and smart carbs. Smart fats are things like omega-3s from salmon that are good for the brain. Smart carbs are the ones that have fiber.

Teach your kids and grandkids about body composition. BMI went out of favor 10 years ago! Body composition — your muscle and bone mass, and your body fat distribution — are far more important than what the scale shows. If your grandchild is big boned and has big muscles, and the school tells parents their BMI is too high, you should say, “Don’t worry. This child is blessed with a body type that gives him/her large muscles and strong bones.” Waist size is the number-one scientifically studied parameter of health. If their waist isn’t potbellied, and you can’t grab a big piece of flab on their belly, their scale weight doesn’t matter. We use the term ‘lean’. That means the right body composition for your genetic body type.

What memories do you want your grandchildren to have of you? Many will be about food. I still fondly remember cooking with my grandpa. As important, what do you want to leave for your grandchildren? Teaching them healthy eating habits is an enduring investment that will carry them through their entire lives.

To answer those questions, Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development has invited some of the world’s leading neuroscientists, clinicians, and researchers to share their top tips for making (and sticking to) New Year’s Resolutions for healthy media habits in 2022. Read on for helpful guidelines on screen time, sleep routines, device-free zones, family bonding, and more.

1. Encourage Family Bonding

Instead of focusing on screen time, develop New Year’s Resolutions that are positive and shared. Start by answering the question, “What do we want to do more of as a family?” Some examples might include game nights, hikes, or family dinners. Set fun, positive goals that can bond the family together and incidentally reduce screen time.  

– Meghan Owenz, Assistant Teaching Professor, PSU Berks and author of Spoiled Right: Delaying Screens and Giving Children What They Really Need. 

2. Monitor Screen Usage

Pay attention to smartphone usage through Screen Time (iPhone) or Digital Well-Being. Which apps does your child use the most? What’s the first app he/she opens after unlocking the phone? Which sites notify your child? Discuss weekly usage with the family. It’s not just the amount of screen time that you need to monitor, though. Research shows that using screens in the last hour before bedtime negatively affects sleep. The culprit is the blue light emitted by the screen, which lowers the release of melatonin (necessary for sleep) and increases the release of cortisol, which keeps you awake.
 
– Larry Rosen, Professor Emeritus CSU Dominguez Hills and co-author of The Distracted Mind: Ancient Brains in a High-Tech World 
 
3. Establish Digital Boundaries 

As a family, establish your digital borders and boundaries with your children. Have discussions that expand on “how much” time children are spending online and also consider where they’re using devices, when they’re using devices, what devices and platforms they can use, with whom they’re interacting online and how they’re using devices to ensure that their physical health and mental wellbeing are optimized.
 
– Kristy Gooodwin, PhD, researcher, speaker and author of Raising Your Child in a Digital World

​​4. Set Screen-Free Family Meals

When it comes to resolutions, bigger isn’t always better.  Setting a detailed, doable digital goal that can become a habit is the way to make a change that lasts.  Start with something like, “We will enjoy five screen-free family meals a week.” 
 
– Arlene Pellicane, MA, author of Screen Kids and host of the “Happy Home” podcast 
 
5. Focus Your Full Attention on Your Child

When interacting with your child, try to focus your full attention on them. When you come home from work or walk in the door from food shopping, it’s best not to be in the middle of texting or talking on your phone. Kids learn from their parents’ behavior and more often than not, it’s monkey-see-monkey-do. The way you greet your children is going to be the way they greet you.
 
– Pamela Hurst-Della Pietra, PhD, Founder and President of Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development
 
6.Turn Off Other Digital Devices

A key study in how technology impacts our behavior that has been replicated several times is the “iPhone effect.” Quite simply, it shows that if we have a digital device in our line of sight, even if switched off, it will impact our IQ and empathy negatively. Over the festive period, think of how that might impact you and your family during social times. For example, when watching television together try to only have the TV on and no other devices in line of sight. This might be hard at first, so introduce it in small doses and have a fun reward e.g. popcorn at movie night.
 
– Chris Flack, co-founder of UnPlug
 
7. Plan More Off Screen Activities

Plan more device-free activities like movie nights or family outings. Create phone-free zones in your world including the dinner table. Don’t let your child spend more than 90 minutes on screen time without taking substantive breaks of at least 30 minutes (you can set timers and give them a 5-minute warning to stop screen use). If they continue without stopping, tell them that if they don’t turn off the screens they will have less than 90 minutes the next time, but don’t completely take away their devices! Detoxing from screens doesn’t work and just causes other problems. 
 
– Larry Rosen, Professor Emeritus CSU Dominguez Hills and co-author of The Distracted Mind: Ancient Brains in a High-Tech World 
 
8. Set Aside Reading Time

Set aside one evening a week for reading time after dinner. Buy books or borrow books from the library that will interest your children. Unplug the modem and, without other options, books will become very attractive. Reading is a foundational and multisensory experience for children—from touching the paper, to picturing what is being written about, to building the self-control to stay focused on the written page. 
 
– Arlene Pellicane, MA, author of Screen Kids and host of the “Happy Home” podcast 
 
9. Look Beyond the Pandemic

As children return to school, many parents are looking for ways to dial back their children’s use of digital technology and social media. To do this, MARC research suggests that the most effective method is to discuss with your kids how screens were integral during the height of the pandemic, but now that life is beginning to settle into a more normal routine, it’s time to reconsider and discuss new family technology rules. Then do it. 
 
– Elizabeth K. Englander, PhD, Executive Director, Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center, Bridgewater State University.
 
10. Try A Family Book Club
Book clubs aren’t just for adults. Try a family book club – you pick a book one month, your child the next. (The “host” selects the refreshments!) For younger children, you or your child can read aloud. Whether you use print or digital books is your choice. What matters is that you both do the reading and then share together.
 
– Naomi S. Baron, Professor Emerita of Linguistics at American University and author of How We Read Now: Strategic Choices for Print, Screen, and Audio
 
11. Create A Regular Digital Sabbath
You might choose one day each weekend to unplug, or one weeknight evening. You could do a YouTube free week, or a video game free month. Create these as challenges for your kids (and you can participate, too, as parents). It’s a great way to test who might be addicted to various forms of screen time in your home. Once you complete a challenge successfully, celebrate with a special meal or a non-digital toy. Repeat challenges throughout the year, not as a punishment, but as a way to recalibrate and keep your kids healthy mentally, emotionally, and physically.  
 
– Arlene Pellicane, MA, author of Screen Kids and host of the “Happy Home” podcast 
 
12. Determine A Digital Curfew
As a family, determine the time when devices need to be switched off each night. A minimum of 60 minutes before sleep time is recommended to ensure that sleep quality and quantity aren’t impacted by blue light exposure. Have a specific ‘landing zone’ where digital devices go at night for charging and storage (a kitchen counter, study area, sideboard).
 
– Kristy Gooodwin, PhD, researcher, speaker and author of Raising Your Child in a Digital World
 
About Children and Screens
Since its inception in 2013, Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development, has become one of the nation’s leading non-profit organizations dedicated to advancing and supporting interdisciplinary scientific research, informing and educating the public, advocating for sound public policy for child health and wellness, and enhancing human capital in the field. For more information, see www.childrenandscreens.com or write to info@childrenandscreens.com.

New research being presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) 2018 National Conference & Exhibition shows that caregivers who step up to raise their grandchildren are overcoming unique challenges to manage just as well as biological and adoptive parent caregivers.

The study abstract, “Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: Are They Up to the Job was presented on Monday, November 5th, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. The study is the first to examine a nationally representative sample of children and directly compare households where children are being raised by their grandparents with those being raised by their parents.

MANY PARENTS CAN’T MEET THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF PARENTHOOD

“A large and increasing number of mothers and fathers aren’t able to meet the responsibilities of parenthood, prompting their own parents to take on the primary caregiver role for their grandchildren,” said senior author Andrew Adesman, MD, FAAP, Chief of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics for Cohen Children’s Medical Center of New York. “Although these children are more likely to have endured one or more adverse childhood experiences and the grandparents themselves often face extra health and socioeconomic hurdles, our findings suggest they appear to be coping well.”

The researchers analyzed and compared 2016 National Survey of Children’s Health data from 44,807 parent-led households and 1,250 grandparent households.

They determined that caregivers raising their grandchildren were more likely to have a greater number of physical and mental health problems, have household incomes at or below the federal poverty line, have lower levels of education, and be single.

In addition, the grandchildren they were raising were more likely to become angry/anxious with transitions, lose their temper and have other behavioral issues.

“This was not surprising, since we know that children in non-parental care are likely to have experienced more adverse childhood experiences and have an increased risk of behavioral problems as a result,” said abstract co-author Sarah Keim, PhD, Principal Investigator at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

GRANDPARENTS AND PARENTS SHOWED NO DIFFERENCES

However, Keim said, grandparents and parents showed no difference when asked if the child “does things that really bother” them, is “harder to care for” than peers, or if they “felt angry with this child.” In fact, grandparents and parents did not differ on most measures of parent coping, parenting stress, or caregiver-child interactions when stratified by child health and child age.

The study also found that a substantial proportion of both grandparent caregivers (31 percent) and parent caregivers (24 percent), reported that they did not have anyone “to turn to for day-to-day emotional support with parenting.”

“Given that children being raised by their grandparents may pose greater behavioral challenges, and that nearly a third of the parenting grandparents reported they had no one to turn to for day-to-day emotional support with parenting, pediatricians and other health professionals caring for ‘grandfamilies’ must be mindful of these issues and be ready to refer families to counseling when needed, as well as refer them to supports groups locally and online,” Dr. Adesman said.

Abstract co-author Nallammai Muthiah presented the study abstract.

An abstract of the study, “Instant Soup Scald Injuries in Children,” was presented on Monday, November 5th, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.

“Scald burns are a major cause of preventable injury among children, and our research found that instant soup spills are responsible for a large number of these painful burns,” said Courtney Allen DO, FAAP, a Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellow at Emory University.

CHILDREN GET SCALDED FROM USING MICROWAVES

The researchers examined National Electronic Injury Surveillance System data from 2006 to 2016 to identify pediatric patients whose scald burns were caused by either microwavable instant soup, instant noodles, cup of soup, or water for making instant soup. They determined scald burns related to instant soups and noodles affect more than 9,500 children annually between ages 4 and 12 years.

The peak age for instant soup spill injuries, Dr. Allen and her colleagues determined, was 7 years old. They also found that the most commonly burned area of the body was a child’s torso, comprising 40 percent of the injuries. Roughly 57 percent of the children burned were female.

“Instant soups and noodles in prepackaged cups and bowls may seem simple to prepare just by adding water and microwaving them,” Dr. Allen said. “But once they’re heated up they become a dangerous burn risk. Caregivers need to closely supervise younger children who might otherwise get hurt if cooking for themselves.”

CHANGES NEEDED FOR PACKAGING OF INSTANT SOUP

In addition, Dr. Allen said, the food product industry may consider structural changes to packaging to prevent injuries as well – making them more difficult to tip over, for example.

The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults. For more information, visit

Microwavable instant soup products cause at least two out of every 10 scald burns that send children to emergency departments each year, according to new research presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) 2018 National Conference & Exhibition.

An abstract of the study, “Instant Soup Scald Injuries in Children,” was presented on Monday, November 5th, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.

“Scald burns are a major cause of preventable injury among children, and our research found that instant soup spills are responsible for a large number of these painful burns,” said Courtney Allen DO, FAAP, a Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellow at Emory University.

The researchers examined National Electronic Injury Surveillance System data from 2006 to 2016 to identify pediatric patients whose scald burns were caused by either microwavable instant soup, instant noodles, cup of soup, or water for making instant soup. They determined scald burns related to instant soups and noodles affect more than 9,500 children annually between ages 4 and 12 years.

The peak age for instant soup spill injuries, Dr. Allen and her colleagues determined, was 7 years old. They also found that the most commonly burned area of the body was a child’s torso, comprising 40 percent of the injuries. Roughly 57 percent of the children burned were female.

“Instant soups and noodles in prepackaged cups and bowls may seem simple to prepare just by adding water and microwaving them,” Dr. Allen said. “But once they’re heated up they become a dangerous burn risk. Caregivers need to closely supervise younger children who might otherwise get hurt if cooking for themselves.”

In addition, Dr. Allen said, the food product industry may consider structural changes to packaging to prevent injuries as well – making them more difficult to tip over, for example.

The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults. For more information, visit the American Academy of Pediatrics.

But, should you do it?

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau reported in January 2017 that the number of consumers ages 60 and older who have student loan debt has quadrupled to 2.8 million over a decade ending in 2015. That can be particularly burdensome for people who are on a fixed income due to retirement.

Here are some things to consider before cosigning a private student loan for your grandchild.

1. You’ll have to pay if they can’t

Signing your name on a loan for your grandchildren might seem like an easy way to help them get the money they need for college. But you could face serious ramifications if they can’t pay it back.

Even though your grandchild is the primary borrower, you’re a cosigner, so you’re obligated to repay the debt if your grandchild can’t. The lender will come after you for repayment as soon as your grandchild is late on a payment.

It could be more than just covering a couple of missed payments on your grandchild’s behalf. You’re technically on the hook to pay back the entire loan amount if your grandchild can’t. And one missed payment makes the loan delinquent.

That’s why it’s important to have a conversation about the responsibilities of repayment before cosigning a loan and to consider if you’re able and willing to take on the risk.

2. Cosigning could hurt your retirement plan

You’ve spent your whole life building a nest egg so you can enjoy your golden years. Cosigning a loan could damage your retirement goals. One of the major reasons has to do with your debt-to-income ratio (DTI).

Even if you grandchild pays the loan on schedule, the remaining debt will be on your credit report. So if you need to get a loan for a car, buy something major for your home, or refinance your house, you might not be able to qualify easily or you could face higher interest rates.

It’s important to note that private lenders can’t go after things such as your Social Security. If you’re on a fixed income from retirement, a loan might be the only way to handle affording any major unforeseen expenses, and lenders could consider your DTI ratio when approving a loan and determining an interest rate. With this in mind, make sure you feel financially solid about your retirement before you cosign that loan.

3. Unpaid debt can snowball

Say you were smart and reviewed exactly what’s owed and when on your grandchild’s student loan, and you feel confident they can pay. It’s important to remember that debt can snowball.

Even if you grandchild misses even a couple of payments, the debt can increase quickly, leaving you on the hook for more than you anticipated. Every time a payment is missed, late fees, accrued interest, and even collection costs can accumulate, making the original amount you agreed to cosign balloon.

Again, this can put you in a risky financial situation, especially if you’re on a fixed income. So be sure you can afford to cover the monthly payments if you grandchild is unable to.

4. Bankruptcy won’t save you from repaying student loans

While no one wants to file for bankruptcy, you might consider it as a last resort if neither you nor your grandchild can repay the loan. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to discharge a private student loan in bankruptcy.

It’s possible to do it, but you’d have to go through the hassle of going to court to prove excessive financial hardship. That would mean you’d have to meet the requirements of the Brunner test, which include proving poverty, persistence (meaning finances aren’t likely to change), and good faith (you’ve tried every way to pay the loan).

In some states, private lenders can argue for garnishment from your wages or bank account to pay back the debt. So, you could end up losing part of your retirement anyway in addition to paying court fees. That’s why it’s important to think about the worst-case scenario before cosigning a loan, so you’re prepared financially if that were to happen.

5. Cosigning student loan could damage your relationship

In addition to all the financial ramifications you could face by cosigning your grandchild’s student loan, there are some emotional ones to consider as well. Even if you have a great and trusting relationship with your grandchildren, getting finances involved could put a strain on your relationship, especially if the repayment doesn’t go as planned.

Be sure to ask yourself if it’s a risk you’re willing to take. Your grandchild might not be able to get a loan without your help, but cosigning could put a different pressure on the two of you. It’s a factor that needs strong consideration and conversation.

Cosigning your grandchild’s loan is a major decisionBeing able to help your grandchild pay for college is a great way to set them up for a successful future. That’s why cosigning might be the right choice for grandparents who have enough in savings or make enough money to support others. If you fall into one of these buckets, you won’t be as stressed financially if your grandchild suddenly can’t pay.

If you rely on a set income, though, you might feel it’s best to tell your grandchild you can’t cosign. But there are some ways to deliver the news gently.

First, it’s best to be candid. If you explain your financial situation and why cosigning doesn’t make sense for both of you, they’re likely to understand and prevent the relationship from straining.

Even if you’re not feeling comfortable cosigning, it doesn’t mean you can’t offer support in other ways. Perhaps you can give them some money to buy books or you could spend time in helping them find scholarship opportunities. You can also look at ways for your grandchildren to get money for college without a cosigner.

These gestures can go a long way to protect your retirement goals and relationship with your grandchild.

Jordi Lippe-McGraw has been a lifestyle writer/editor for almost a decade covering everything from breaking news to diet, fitness, entertainment and travel features. Her writing has appeared in various outlets including Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, TODAY.com, Yahoo Travel, Ocean Drive, Gotham, Hamptons, New York Post, Huffington Post, Oyster.com and many more. I’m also a regular on numerous talk shows and news programs such as Wendy Williams, MSNBC and the Today Show.

She also started a website –Well Traveler – where she shares beautiful and practical stories from her travels, inspiring people to embrace their individual journeys and learn simple steps towards creating a happy and healthy life. In addition, she obtained her Holistic Health Coach certification through the Institute of Integrative Nutrition and the American Association of Drugless Practitioners.

Prior to going freelance and starting her own company, she was the Entertainment Director for Life & Style, In Touch and Closer Weekly for six years.

www.jordilippewriting.com
www.well-traveler.com

A release from the Society for Research in Child Development quotes Allison Flamion, a PhD student in psychology at the University of Liege, who led the research team, as saying, “The most important factor associated with ageist stereotypes was poor quality of contact with grandparents. We asked children to describe how they felt about seeing their grandparents. Those who felt unhappy were designated as having poor quality of contact. When it came to ageist views, we found that quality of contact mattered much more than frequency.”

To assess aspects of ageism, the researchers studied 1,151 children and adolescents ages 7 to 16 in the French-speaking part of Belgium; the youths were primarily White, from urban and rural areas, and from a range of socioeconomic statuses. In questionnaires, the researchers asked the youths their thoughts on getting old and about the elderly. They also collected information about the health of the youths’ grandparents, how often the two generations met, and how the young people felt about their relationships with their grandparents.

In general, views on the elderly expressed by the children and adolescents were neutral or positive. Girls had slightly more positive views than boys; girls also tended to view their own aging more favorably, the researchers note.

Ageist stereotypes fluctuated with the ages of the youths studied, with 7- to 9-year-olds expressing the most prejudice and 10- to 12-year-olds expressing the least, the study found. This finding mirrors other forms of discrimination (e.g., those related to ethnicity or gender) and is in line with cognitive-developmental theories: For example, acquiring perspective-taking skills around age 10 reduces previous stereotypes. With ageism, prejudice seemed to reappear when the participants in this study reached their teen years: 13- to 16-year-olds also had high levels of ageism.

Grandparents’ health was also a factor in youths’ views on ageism: Young people with grandparents in poor health were more likely to hold ageist views than youths with grandparents in better health.

The most important factor influencing youths’ views of the elderly was the quality of their contact with their grandparents. The study characterized youths’ contact as good or very good when they said they felt happy or very happy (respectively) when they saw and shared with their grandparents. Those who described their contact with grandparents as good or very good had more favorable feelings toward the elderly than those who described the contact less positively. Furthermore, the benefit of meaningful contact occurred in both children with the lowest level of ageism and those with the highest level, and boys seemed to benefit more than girls from high-quality contact.

Frequency of contact, while mattering considerably less, also played a role: 10- to 12-year-olds who saw their grandparents at least once a week had the most favorable views toward the elderly, likely because of the multiplying effect of frequency with quality, the researchers suggest.

“For many children, grandparents are their first and most frequent contact with older adults,” notes Stephane Adam, professor of psychology at the University of Liege, who coauthored the study. “Our findings point to the potential of grandparents to be part of intergenerational programs designed to prevent ageism. Next, we hope to explore what makes contacts with grandparents more rewarding for their grandchildren as well as the effects on children of living with or caring for their grandparents.”

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The research was supported by a grant in human sciences from the University of Liege and the Fund for Scientific Research Belgium.

Keep It Age-Appropriate

Before heading out, be sure to do your research. First, how old is your grandchild? If he or she is at least 6 years old, this is likely to be an appropriate activity for the child. Kids younger than that may bore easily, and sitting through nine innings of baseball or four long quarters of a football game is a lot to ask. Kids that are a bit older can more easily appreciate the action of the game and the activities that go with it.

Look for Kid-Friendly Events

Once you’re settled on heading out to an event, look into kid-focused activities that may come with it. Many baseball stadiums have special kids’ nights, discounted kids’ tickets and activities geared toward younger fans, especially during games for minor league and non-pro teams. Find out when these events are and snag a ticket for that date to turn a regular sports outing into a fun-filled afternoon.

Dress for the Weather

Before you head out, make sure you and your grandchild are dressed appropriately for the event. Keep both the type of sport and the weather in mind. You might need a hat and sunscreen for a sunny day at a ballpark, but have to bundle up for a chilly hockey match. Check the weather before leaving, and bring a raincoat if it’s cloudy or an extra set of gloves if the temperature will drop—after all, it never hurts to be prepared! To make the occasion even more special, consider buying a jersey or ballcap for your grandchild to wear so he or she can show off team spirit.

Make a Transportation Plan

If you’re not driving to the stadium, public transportation can be a great option. You won’t have to worry about finding a parking spot, and you and your grandchild can experience the train or subway together. It will also prevent you from getting stuck in traffic once the game is over.

If you do plan on driving to the stadium, don’t forget that you have some room for fun before the game even starts. After you pass the gates and pull into your spot, don’t be afraid to tailgate! Sporting events, especially football games, invite fans to hang out in the parking lot, grill, eat, and play games before the game starts. Sitting and watching the action in the lot with your grandchild while chowing down makes for a fun event before the actual game even starts. Bring a baseball and glove or a football to toss around, too!

Choose Your Seat Wisely

Once you head into the stadium, if you don’t have assigned seats try to grab one on the aisle. This will make it easier to clean up if things get messy (like spilled nacho cheese or soda) and also creates a clear exit when you need to head to the restroom.

If you didn’t (or couldn’t) bring snacks or water with you, grab those items before you get to your seats. That way, you won’t have to shuffle out while the game is going on and try to make your way back to your seat in the middle of the action. Grab as much as you can at one time to minimize the time you’ll be out of your seat, too.

Don’t Be Afraid to Head Out Early

If the game is winding down, the fans near you are a little too rowdy, or the match just isn’t as exciting as you’d hoped, it’s okay to leave early. Kids get tuckered out more easily than adults, and after a few hours of sitting still in the sun, they may start to feel a bit antsy. If you’re eager to spend more time together, you can always go to another game later in the season.

Constant action, fun food, and an entertaining intermission make sporting events a great option for kids, and they can become a tradition you celebrate together for years to come.

Adam Young is a father of two and the CEO and founder of Event Tickets Center. He has traveled to many shows and games with his children and he enjoys writing to inform and inspire others to get out there and make new memories

The process of balancing gifts is known as equalization. Only you can make the decision to equalize gifts to your grandchildren, but if you choose to do it, it’s important to plan. Remember, fairness does not always mean equality,

You should consider the wealth some grandchildren may inherit from their own parents and the chances your grandchildren have to be financially successful.

Let’s say you have three children. Two are just making ends meet. One is a successful executive married to a well-paid lawyer. They can easily pay for college, weddings and so on.

Here, you could write your will to specify transfers to all of your children but only to the grandchildren whose parents are just scraping by. Your financially successful child can disclaim her bequest, and if she does, it will legally pass to her children.

Some may feel this is more satisfactory than giving each grandchild an equal dollar amount. It’s a personal decision you should consider carefully.

Some grandparents who didn’t originally care about equalizing gifts may feel differently when they get older. If one grandchild has received $10,000 over 10 years while another has gotten $1,000, it’s understandable you may want to even things out.

One option is to stop giving to the grandchildren who have received more until the grandchildren who have received less catch up. For grandparents who are relatively young and in good health, this approach can work.

If you want to equalize gifts, begin as early as possible. A certified financial planner can help achieve your goals.

529 plan—a great way to support grandkids

One of the best ways to give is through a 529 college savings plan. Grandparents can contribute to a plan already set up by the parents. Or they can set up a new account for a grandchild.

Withdrawals are tax-free if they’re used to pay for qualified education expenses such as tuition, room and board, and books. Many states provide an income-tax deduction for contributions made to 529 plans.

Contributing when the grandchild is young allows more time for the funds to grow tax-free, Because of this, 529s offer a unique feature that lets you make a lump-sum contribution of up to $70,000 and elect to spread the gift evenly over five subsequent years for tax purposes. Then, you won’t have to file a gift-tax return.

Future grandchildren

Even if you already have grandchildren, more grandchildren may be on the way. Part of the challenge of financial planning for grandchildren is planning for those who haven’t been born yet. Though you can always alter your financial plans to provide for new grandchildren while you’re alive, you may want to consider how to handle any grandchildren born after your death.

You can give your family some leeway by including a tool known as a special power of appointment in your will. This tool grants your spouse, child or another individual the power to change the terms under which assets pass to your grandchildren via trust. Special powers provide flexibility to help a grandchild with special needs or who runs into financial problems.

Legally, after-born children are children born after the creation of a will, trust or other document, while posthumous children are those born after the death of a parent. With the advent of reproductive assistance, the latter situation is becoming common.

In a 2012 case, the U.S. Supreme Court considered the case of a woman who conceived and gave birth to twins after her husband’s death from cancer, using sperm donated and frozen by the husband. The Social Security Administration denied survivor benefits to the posthumous children.

In Florida, where the couple resided, inheritance in such cases is only permitted if the beneficiaries are named in a will. In this case, the husband’s will did not specifically acknowledge children conceived after his death, so they did not qualify, the Supreme Court ruled.

Planning for future children is complex enough, let alone future grandchildren

Since grandchildren do not have the direct beneficiary rights that children do in some states, there is an extra layer of distance. And while grandchildren born after their grandparent’s death are nothing new, there are few legal mechanisms in place that automatically provide for their inheritance.

The provisions in your will that apply to all your grandchildren are unlikely to extend to any grandchildren who may be born after your death. Depending on the timeline, your estate may have been entirely distributed before their birth, unless the executor had a reason to set part of it aside.

Nevertheless, you can make provisions for any grandchildren who might be born after your death. Being as specific as possible about any current and future beneficiaries will clarify your intentions and help make sure your wishes are carried out.

Inheritance laws vary widely from state to state, and in some places, it may not be practical to provide for after-born grandchildren through your will. In those states, establishing a trust can be very effective. Trusts can be established in a variety of ways to address the needs of current and future generations, including grandchildren who are not yet born.

Rebecca Pavese, CPA, is a financial planner and portfolio manager with Palisades Hudson Financial Group’s Atlanta office.

Palisades Hudson Financial Group is a fee-only financial planning firm and investment manager based Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with more than $1.3 billion under management. It offers financial planning, wealth management, and tax services. Its Entertainment and Sports Team serves entertainers and professional athletes. Branch offices are in Stamford, Connecticut; Atlanta, Georgia; Portland, Oregon; and Austin, Texas.

The firm’s monthly newsletter covering financial planning, taxes and investing is online at www.palisadeshudson.com/insights/sentinel. Sign up to receive articles by email at www.palisadeshudson.com/get-sentinel.

A release from the publishers notes that women go through menopause many years before the end of their expected lifespan. Researchers have long hypothesized that menopause and an extended post-reproductive lifespan provide an evolutionary advantage. That is, those factors increase the chances of a woman passing on her genes. However, the precise nature of this advantage is still up for debate.

To investigate the evolutionary advantage of menopause, Carla Aimé and colleagues at the Institute of Evolutionary Sciences of Montpellier in France developed computer simulations of human populations using artificial neural networks. Then they tested which conditions were required for menopause to emerge in the simulated populations.

Specifically, the research team used the simulations to model the emergence and evolution of resource allocation decision-making in the context of reproduction. Menopause can be considered a resource allocation strategy in which reproduction is halted so that resources can be reallocated elsewhere.

The researchers found that emergence of menopause and long post-reproductive lifespan in the simulated populations required the existence of cognitive abilities in combination with caring for grandchildren. The importance of cognitive abilities rather than physical strength lends support to a previously proposed hypothesis for the evolution of menopause known as the Embodied Capital Model.

The release quotes Aimé as saying, “Cognitive abilities allow accumulation of skills and experience over the lifespan, thus providing an advantage for resource acquisition.Stopping reproduction during aging allows allocating more of these surplus resources to assist offspring and grand-offspring, thus increasing children’s fertility and grandchildren’s survival.”

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Here is the freely available article in PLOS Computational Biology: http://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/article?id=10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005631

Your health care provider can be a great resource. A good time to check in is during preventive “well-child” health visits with your child’s pediatrican, says Donna L. Snyder, M.D., F.A.A.P., a pediatrician with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Pediatric Therapeutics. These visits can continue at periods throughout childhood and adolescence.

But if you’re between appointments and think your child or grandchild is sick, or just have questions, contact your health care provider to confirm what to do next, Snyder says. And consider the following advice on medication safety—for prescription and over-the-counter medicines.

Get Expert Advice Before Giving Medication to Your Baby

Certain medications may not be appropriate for your baby, so you should ask your health care provider before giving your child any medication, says Snyder. If he or she has recommended a medicine for your infant, ask questions to be sure you use the right dose.

Store Medications Safely

Store any medications that you or your baby may take out of reach of your child, says Snyder. She notes that babies can start to crawl as early as 5 to 6 months. “But even if babies are under the age when you’d expect them to be able to get to your medication, get into the habit of putting medication out of their reach,” she advises.

Also read all storage instructions. “For instance, some antibiotics need to be kept in the refrigerator,” Snyder says. “So you want to make sure you’re storing it according to the instructions.” If you have questions about how to safely store a medicine, contact your pharmacist or other health care provider.

Give Medications Properly

Use the appropriate dosing device—such as an oral syringe, not a regular kitchen spoon—to give the recommended amount of medicine. Some products are packaged with these devices, but devices are also available for purchase over the counter. “If your baby is prescribed a specific amount of medicine, make sure you measure and give the specific amount using a dosing device,” Snyder adds. And talk to your baby’s pharmacist or other health care provider if you have questions.

New Moms: If You Take Medication, Seek Breastfeeding Advice

“If you are taking medications, it’s important to ask your health care provider whether it’s okay to breastfeed,” says Leyla Sahin, M.D., an obstetrician with the FDA’s Division of Pediatric and Maternal Health. You should ask about any prescription or over-the-counter products, including supplements. Stopping a medication can be dangerous for some women with chronic health problems, Sahin notes, but some medications can pass through the breast milk and may not be safe for your baby. So check with your health care provider if you are breastfeeding, or plan to breastfeed, and you are taking any medication.

Take Care of Yourself

New parents, and mothers in particular, may feel as though they’re devoting most waking (and sleeping) hours to the baby, but try to squeeze in time for yourself. Not getting enough rest can be an issue if you have a new baby. “Sleep when the baby sleeps and take naps during the day,” Sahin recommends. “If you’re a new mom feeling constantly very sad, it could be a sign of postpartum depression,” she adds, so you should talk to your health care provider to get help if needed.

Also, it’s important to schedule and keep your six-week postpartum appointment with your health care provider, Sahin says.

Remember, your first year of motherhood may not be perfect but you can adjust to this new stage. Find more helpful advice from the FDA’s Office of Women’s Health.

“Keep in mind that being a new mom is a transition period that may be stressful,” Sahin adds. “But take the time to celebrate being a new mom.”

This article appears on the FDA’s Consumer Updates page, which features the latest on all FDA-regulated products.