Help a Mom: Grandma not involved in her grandkids' lives

A mom wonders how to encourage grandma to play a bigger role in her children's lives.

Posted 1:45 a.m. Nov 23, 2011 — Updated 2:49 a.m. Nov 23, 2011

Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

I love all of the great advice and questions that readers have shared since we resurrected the Help a Mom feature a month or so ago. Thank you!

Here's a timely question as many of us prepare to see extended family during the holidays. This mom is concerned that the only time her kids see their grandmother is during the holidays or family gatherings. Otherwise, she's not involved. Here's what the mom wrote:

"My children's grandmother lives near us, but never sees the kids or makes much of an effort to be involved in their lives, except for family gatherings at her house to celebrate birthdays or major holidays. We have invited her to countless school events, the kids' games, and other outings, but she either comes up with an excuse not to attend or she commits, then backs out at the last minute. She has never spent one-on-one time with them. Are there others in this situation? How do you deal with it?"

Have you had the same problem? Can you help this mom? Please share in the comments box below. (If you don't see the comments box below, you'll need to log in or sign up for a WRAL account. You can do that by going to the top of the page and clicking on either "log in" or "register").

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