Be the Best You to Be the Best Grandparent

Want to be the best grandparent you can be? Learn how nurturing your joy, health, and authenticity helps you become truly unforgettable.

The older I get, the more important it is to really live an authentic life. Why? Because many of us will have decades left in life and I see way too many women look at these years as a time of going downhill.

I propose that you see this time as the amazing time it is and do everything you can to make the most of it. This includes being the best version of you, that you can be.

This doesn’t mean finally going on a diet or exercising like a madwoman. This means really prioritizing yourself and taking care of your mental, emotional, and physical health.

Here’s a secret to have an amazing life. Be the best you.

Becoming the best grandparent doesn’t start with your grandkids, it starts with you.

Your energy. Your joy. Your emotional wellness. Your willingness to keep growing in the second half of life.

When women ask me how to be the best grandmother, they usually think I’ll give them a list of activities or ways to bond with their grandkids. Those matter, of course. But they’re not the foundation.

The foundation is you being the most alive, healthy, emotionally solid version of yourself.

• That’s what kids are drawn to.
• That’s what builds trust and memories.
• And that’s what makes this season of life richer and more vibrant than anything you imagined.

So whether you’re a brand-new grandmother, a grandmother of teens, or not a grandmother yet but want to feel more like yourself again… this post is for you.

Because being the best grandparent really comes down to being the best you and that is something you can start today.

In this post, you’ll learn:

• Why being the best grandparent starts with becoming the best you
• How your emotional health shapes your family relationships
• Simple ways to bring more energy, fun, and zest back into your life
• How to let go of resentment and create deeper connection
• Why authenticity matters more than perfection
• Practical ways to stay vibrant, curious, and engaged at any age

The more you put into your relationship with yourself; the better relationship you’ll have with your grandchildren, or anyone else for that matter.

This is your time to develop a stronger sense of sense and fun activities you love. Your role as a grandparent is only one of your important roles.

A few years ago, I wrote a post called How to Be an Awesome Grandparent. That was the first of many grand-parenting posts that I wrote over the next year or two. One of my points was that the best way to be awesome was to be yourself.

This has continually resulted in having not just a fun relationships but meaningful ones.

Why Your Grandkids Need You, Not “Perfect” You

I’ll be honest, my grandchildren adore me, are fascinated by me, and want to spend every minute I am at their house with me.

We share the small things, hugs, fun activities, and time with extended family.

I don’t say that to brag; I share it because by writing about how to be an awesome or unforgettable grandparent, I really worked on these relationships over the years.

Having this type of relationship with my grandchildren gave me the courage to try being myself with everyone else. This didn’t happen overnight but it has happened.

Some relationships became better. Some relationships fell away naturally.

The most important thing I believe I’ve done, is I worked on being the best ME.

In the years since I became a grandmother, I have worked hard on my self-development and creating a deep and trusting relationship with myself. And I truly believe that my relationship with my grandchildren will have a lasting impact on their lives.

I can’t even believe how I have grown as a woman. And as that woman, my grandkids love to be around me and spend time hanging out with me.

By being the best you that you can be, you will be a person that grandchildren of all ages love to be around!

In this post, I am going to share ways that I did the personal work to become the best version of me, so that I could be the best grandparent and also love this time of my life.

Let’s face it. For too long we have been told that after 60, we’re old and our best days are behind us.

This is not true. I can tell you without hesitation, his really can be the best time of your life.

Release What’s Weighing on Your Heart (So You Can Feel Like Yourself Again)

Many women don’t realize how much unresolved feelings, tucked-away pain, and old heartaches can quietly shape the way they show up with their families.

This isn’t about being wrong or being “too emotional.”
It’s about being human.
And being human means we sometimes carry things longer than we know.

What unresolved feelings can look like (without realizing it)

You might notice it in subtle ways. See if you are feeling any of the following feelings:

• Irritated about how your adult children parent
• Left out when the other grandparents get more time
• Uncomfortable or angry about ex-spouses or new partners
• Hurt about something your child said or didn’t say
• Tense with an in-law and trying to keep the peace
• Disappointed in how often (or not often) you’re included
• Confused like the family has shifted and you’re not sure where you fit

None of this makes you a difficult person. It makes you a woman with a full heart who loves her people deeply. My friends, I write about this because I have felt everyone of these things at times over my grand parenting years.

Having these feelings is not the problem; that’s natural. Holding onto them and letting them run your actions IS the problem.

But here’s the truth that changed everything for me and for my clients:

What you carry emotionally shows up in your relationships, even when you think you’re hiding it.

When you’re carrying hurt, whether it’s big or small, your nervous system feels it. It shows up in your energy, and the people you love can sense it, even if no one is talking about it. We think we’re hiding it, but it usually leaks out in ways we don’t realize.

And it’s exhausting.

Why releasing these feelings matters

The good news? You don’t have to fix everything or force forgiveness to start feeling better. You simply need space to understand your own heart and clear what’s been weighing on you.

That’s why this work matters so much.

When you process your own story: your disappointment, your fears, your frustration, your hope, you become calmer, clearer, steadier. And that emotional steadiness is magnetic. Kids and grandkids feel safe with you. Adult children relax around you. Family relationships soften.

This isn’t about becoming a doormat or pretending nothing hurts. It’s about becoming solid inside yourself so your relationships don’t get run by old pain.

This is possible for you

You can absolutely become the peaceful, grounded presence who brings lightness into the room rather than tension.

I help women do this every day, women who thought it was too late, too complicated, or too painful to untangle.

And it changes everything.

Take Care of Your Health

There are no guarantees of time for any of us! I consider myself healthy, but I know that doesn’t mean I’ll have 40 more years with the grandkids. But I sure am hoping for it.

For me, eating real food, moving my body, and having a positive outlook on life help keep me active and energetic.

The payoff is that I can actively participate in a lot of things with the girls! While I love quiet activities too, it’s still fun to go to parks, take walks, push them on the swing, or go roller skating.

You may never want to get on skates again—I’m not sure I will either! But I do love being able to do stuff that I do want to do with them.

Eating real food and moving your body, increases your personal vitality. You radiate more energy and enthusiasm for life. Seriously! You become infused with animation and vibrance when you make your body a priority.

Why Trying New Things Keeps You Young (and Makes You a Better Grandparent)

Try new things my friend, with or without the grandkids. There is nothing like being a beginner and learning something new to give you some appreciation for what your grandkids do every day, all day.

Just because we’re grandmothers doesn’t mean life is over for us or that we can’t try new things.

I became a grandmother when I was 52. Since that time, I have:

• Learned to ride a bike for long distances
• Hiked up mountains and in national parks and even did one trip all on my own
• Started a successful blog, this one!
• Took on a new job for a while
• Got certified as a life and weight loss coach (business number two after 50)
• Started a second website, Granny’s in the Kitchen, with my daughter
• Bought my first on-my-own car
• Bought my first on-my-own house
• Now at 61, I’m starting new projects, making new friends, and having new experiences.

Believe me, I was NOT like this in my 20’s, 30’s, or 40’s! I was afraid to try stuff and often quit way too soon.

Why being a beginner again Is good for your soul

I think doing new things is the fountain of youth. At the very least, even if you don’t look younger, you will feel younger.

It’s funny, because it might appear that I have this wildly adventuresome life. And it is at times.

But most of the time, I’m a quiet introvert who loves to write and create. My time with the grandchildren is usually spent playing on the floor, doing crafts, or cuddling and watching a movie.

New Experiences = New Energy (for You and Your Grandkids)

Recently, I bought my six-year-old granddaughter this complicated child-level electrical engineering toy. Yes, I AM that kind of grandmother. I had hoped that someone else would help her with it.

However, when I visited a month after Christmas and still no one had opened the box, I took a deep breath and decided that I would tackle that thing.

To be honest, at first it freaked me out! There was no way I would be able to create electrical circuits.

We forged ahead and created several working circuits that gradually became more complicated. The kids loved it and I was so proud of myself.

Even small new things count

Trying new things doesn’t always mean climbing mountains or learning electrical circuits. Sometimes it’s a new coffee shop, a new class, or a new way of spending time with the grandkids.

Small new experiences wake up parts of you that have been asleep for years and that energy is contagious.

Be an Enthusiastic Participant in Life

Life is hard sometimes. It’s scary, unpredictable, and messy. And when things feel overwhelming, it’s tempting to shrink back into what’s familiar: the routines, the roles, the places where nothing feels risky.

But here’s the truth: being an enthusiastic participant in your own life means being willing to feel your life. All of it.

Yes, that includes the uncomfortable stuff, embarrassment, sadness, fear, anger, shame, and uncertainty.

Not fun, I know. But the women who live fully are not the ones who avoid feelings; they’re the ones who learn they can handle them.

Feeling everything is what makes life bigger

When you stop running from the hard feelings, you get full access to the good ones, the ones that make life rich and vibrant: joy, commitment, bravery, tenderness, confidence, desire, playfulness, and that sparkly sense of enthusiasm that lights up a room.

Once you experience the freedom of allowing emotions instead of guarding yourself from them, “comfortable” starts to look a lot like “boring.”

Why settle for muted when you can have a whole palette of feelings that make you feel alive?

Take Responsibility for Your Own Feelings

This is a big one. And once you really get it, everything in your relationships changes.

Your kids don’t create your happiness. Your grandkids don’t create your happiness. Your partner doesn’t create your happiness.

And they don’t create your unhappiness either.

Yes, when I look at my granddaughters, I feel like my heart might burst. I’m flooded with love and joy.
But that feeling isn’t coming from them, it’s coming from what I’m thinking about them.

If I wanted to (and why would I?), I could think thoughts that create irritation or frustration, and I’d feel completely different.

The power is always inside us.

Why this matters more than you think

When we expect other people to make us feel good, we unintentionally put strain on our relationships.
We get disappointed. We get reactive. We try to change them so we can feel better.

Years ago, I had a rough patch with my daughter. I was judging her decisions and convincing myself she was the reason I felt hurt. I was wrong and thankfully, I had a coach who helped me see that all my suffering was coming from my own thoughts.

Cleaning up my thinking changed everything. Our relationship strengthed. We grew closer. And I became the woman, mother, and friend I wanted to be without needing her to change at all.

That is the real magic: You can transform a relationship all by yourself.

No drama. No lectures. No “fixing” other people. Just doing your own inner work and letting that shift the dynamic.

It’s liberating. It’s powerful. And it’s available to you too.

Be You, Not Perfect

I want you to hear this clearly: you don’t have to be perfect to be the best version of yourself or the best grandparent. You don’t need a flawless life, a flawless body, or flawless behavior. You just need you: the real, honest, growing, curious you.

My life’s work has shown me this over and over: Women blossom when they stop performing and start showing up as themselves.

We are wired for growth, not perfection. And the more authentic you become, the more alive you feel.

It’s counterintuitive, but the best version of you is not the polished one: it’s the one who is emotionally grounded, self-aware, compassionate with herself, and willing to keep evolving.

Being loved by yourself, exactly as you are right now is the most powerful foundation you can give your family.

Your grandchildren don’t need a perfect grandmother. They need the vibrant, warm, fully expressed woman who laughs, listens, and lets them see what a beautifully lived life looks like.

When you prioritize your emotional wellness, your body, your joy, and your curiosity… everything else rises with you.

• Your relationships deepen.
• Your energy returns.
• You feel more present, more playful, more you.
• And everyone around you feels that shift, especially your grandkids.

If you’re craving that version of yourself, the one who feels alive again, I’d love to help you get there.

You can book a free coaching consult, and we’ll talk about how to bring your spark back… not just for your grandkids, but for you.

Your next chapter can be the most meaningful one yet. Let’s make it happen.

FAQs

1. What makes someone a great grandparent?

A great grandparent is present, emotionally grounded, and authentically themselves. Kids gravitate toward adults who feel warm, fun, and safe, not perfect.

2. How do I connect more with my grandchildren?

Work on your own emotional health first. When you feel good, have energy, and are living a full life, showing up for your grandkids feels natural and joyful.

3. I worry I’m not doing enough. What should I focus on?

Focus on being emotionally available, consistent, and yourself. A curious, growing grandmother creates the strongest bonds.

4. Can improving myself really make me a better grandparent?

Absolutely. When you release resentment, care for your health, try new things, and embrace authenticity, your relationships flourish, including with your grandkids.

5. What if I’m not a grandparent yet?

Everything in this post applies to any woman who wants to feel more alive, confident, and connected in the second half of life.