The Cool Grandpa Podcast Greg Payne

In this one-on-one conversation, I want to discuss the frustrations that grandparents sometimes have when things don't go as planned with their grandkids. I also want to explore the concept of having selfish and selfless motives in our actions and how these coexist. 
When things don't go our way, I think there is an opportunity to detach from the situation and analyze why it didn't work out. I suggest you ask yourself a few questions: Why didn't the activity go as planned? Did I communicate my expectations for the activity and those of everyone else? Did I put more importance on the activity than everyone else?
When you step back and review an activity that didn't go just right, you will see that you were perhaps more invested in the outcome because of your desires than the other participants were. This doesn't mean that you were or are wrong to be hurt, but it might help to have this review process to understand that the activity meant more to you. Having that understanding can help identify where the hurt is coming from.

In this episode, Parcsen, a grandfather from Singapore, talks about his experience and the role of grandfathers in the family and community. We talk about the issue of isolation and loneliness among the older population and the need for intergenerational connections.

Parcsen shares his journey of becoming a grandfather and his joy seeing his children progress. We also talk about special activities with grandchildren and the changing role of grandfathers in Singapore. Finally, we discuss Parcsen's experience with intergenerational reconciliation and the importance of healing old wounds.

Our conversation explores the importance of reconciling with one's father and understanding his story. It emphasizes the three Rs: Recognize, Reconciliation, and Reconnect. A father-son relationship can be restored by recognizing the man behind the father, developing empathy, and taking the initiative to reconcile. The benefits of reconciliation extend to future generations. The conversation also touches on the Better Man podcast and the importance of personal growth and development as a father.

Links
Use this link to check out Parsen's website: https://iamparcsen.wordpress.com/3r/

You can use either link to listen and view Parcsen's Better Man Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/3bqyOzl0vCPsBjs8B7kVbe or https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgE7JYFwVkW6ipRPjgYenSOyAI5baBBPH.

If you would like to connect with Parcsen on Facebook, here is a link to his profile: https://www.facebook.com/parcsen

You can connect with Parcsen on LinkedIn by using this link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parcsen/

Raising children can be a tough row to hoe. No matter what age you are, there are a lot of demands on your time, energy, knowledge, and patience when dealing with children. Not only do you need to manage the children, but you also need to manage their schedules, diets, hobbies and interests, friends, and education. I am worn out just thinking about and writing these sentences.

Well, this week, we are going to discuss Grandfamilies. Grandfamilies are made up of grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other family members who are raising strong, successful children. Jamarl D. Clark and Mr. Robert Brown joined our conversation this week to discuss two important topics.

First, we will learn how Mr. Brown and his wife became the guardians and then the parents of their three young grandsons. Second, we will learn about Grandfamlies and Generations United.

After Robert shares his touching story of the day in 2006 when his grandsons lost their mother and father in a shooting one Sunday in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, we get into a great discussion about the aftermath of that horrible event and how the community and his former employer rallied around him and those affected by the shooting.

Robert and Jamarl discuss the local and national resources available to family members responsible for caring for and raising grandchildren. Jamarl D. Clark, the Assistant Director of the National Center on Grandfamilies, discusses how his organization and other local and national entities support Grandfamilies and the work that so many people do to keep family members, including young children, together.

Once you have listened to this important episode, please share it with your family, friends, or acquaintances interested in learning more about Grandfamilies and Generations United.

Links
Click on this link to visit Generations United: https://www.gu.org/

Click on this link to view Jamarl D. Clark's bio information: https://www.gu.org/people/jamarl-clark/

You can click on this link to follow Generations United on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/generationsunited

If you are on Instagram, you can use this link to follow Generations United: https://www.instagram.com/gensunited/

Generations United also has videos for you to watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/generationsunited

Lee Ostler joins the conversation this week to talk about his relationship with his grandchildren. We are fortunate to hear Lee talk about building and nurturing relationships with both grandchildren and now great-grandchildren.

We discuss how our identities change from being known as 'Dad' to becoming 'Grandpa.' While we enjoy the change that comes from having grandchildren, it is a bit of a mixed bag of emotions and our place within the family. Many men, when envisioning themselves as suddenly older, wonder about the value they have with their friends, family, and even professionally.

Lee talks to us about the importance of building bonds and relationships with our grandchildren, starting when they are young. We also talk about the importance of having different kinds of activities with the grandchildren because we don't know what moment will be a quality moment for them. The grandchildren pick and choose which event or which time with grandpa will be impactful for them.

You will enjoy hearing Lee's insights and stories about his experience as a grandfather. After you have listened to this episode, please be sure to subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast app. It would be great if you could share this conversation with three friends and family members.

Links
Lee's email should you want to connect with him: leeostler@gmail.com

If you would like to check out what Roland is doing with the Hearts of the Fathers foundation, you can click on this link to learn more: https://heartofthefathers.com/

Check out Grandparents Academy if you haven't already done so by using this link: https://www.grandparentsacademy.com/

He was a man to ride the river with. A long time ago, someone could get no higher compliment than to be known as one to ride the river with. It seems that this phrase came about during the time of the frontiersmen and cowboys. When exactly, no one seems to know. It might have been during the early days of the Oregon Trail or soon after that. When it came to be, it doesn't matter, but it is a phrase that at once captures the imagination of a time long gone.

What I like about this phrase is that it conveys much information about a person when used. For example, if a group of cowboys was being pulled together to drive cattle north to the rail heads after the U.S. Civil War, having someone use that phrase to describe you might be all that was needed to get a very scarce job on a cattle drive.

Crossing a river with wagons, cattle, or horses is dangerous. There are many hazards in a river, from soft, muddy bottoms that could get a horse or cattle stuck to deceptively fast-moving currents that could float a wagon or push the livestock down the river, where they might drown. With these many hazards, someone with experience and a good head on their shoulders was of value to any group that had to travel far.

Unlike Tom Sawyer, who saw his funeral, we will not be so lucky to learn what our family and friends truly think of us. I think, therefore, we could use a phrase such as one to ride the river with as something to aspire to. This phrase encapsulates the idea that a person to ride the river with was dependable, knew a thing or two about navigating hazards, was honest, and would work well with others to complete the task.

While I will not dwell too long on my eventual demise, I will try to live or continue to live a life that when my time is over, I might earn the praise of one to ride the river with. I'll consider it a bonus if this or something like it is how my grandchildren talk about me and my influence on them and their families.

What phrases or thoughts, past or present, inspire you to keep going, learning, and trying to lead a good life? I want to learn more about what motivates you to be the best you can be.

If you enjoyed this podcast episode, please share it with your friends and family and discuss living up to an aspirational phrase or saying.

Links
If you would like to watch this episode, you can click on this link to watch it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/DKxIEr0fRHg

Simon Gidney from A Mind To Care joins us to discuss his organization and the tools he is developing to help caregivers and those needing memory and behavior care. Simon discusses how, with over 40 million unpaid caregivers in the United States, many of these caregivers need tools to help engage and, for lack of a better word, manage the loved ones in their care.

We discuss Simon's background as a corporate lawyer specializing in corporate restructuring and what caused him to pivot into helping caregivers and people suffering from memory and dementia issues. On one of Simon's business trips, he met a man who was heading home to help take care of his father, who had early-onset Parkinson's.

Simon and I talk about how he took over this early startup business, retooled through the COVID pandemic, and relaunched A Mind To Care. Simon and his team have developed several products that we discussed that caregivers can use not only for people with dementia and other cognitive issues but also for anyone who could respond and engage with these tools. The leading product that A Mind To Care sells is a memory or activity board that can be easily carried and set up and comes with magnetic dry-erase sheets.

We also discuss the importance of helping and recognizing caregivers, many of whom are unpaid. Many of these caregivers are family members, friends, or perhaps members of a church congregation that supports the person in need. To help support the caregivers and keep track of how they and the people they care for are doing, Simon has created the great book Caring for the Caregiver. Simon's book is "a 52-week check-in caregiver journal for self-reflection, cultivating gratitude, nurturing well-being, and mastering stress management on your compassionate caregiving journey."

You will enjoy this conversation with Simon, and if you are in a position of taking care of a loved one with memory and cognitive issues, I recommend that you check out Simon's website and see if any of the tools and other resources he has would work for you and your situation. Simon has been generous and provides three FREE copies of his book, Caring for the Caregiver, to the first three people commenting on our conversation. So, please leave us a comment here, on Facebook or LinkedIn, or even email us, and we will be happy to send you a FREE copy of his book.

Once you have listened to this conversation, please be sure to share it with three friends or family members who would enjoy learning more about Simon and his organization, A MIND To Care.

Links
Here is the link to Simon's website, A Mind To Care: https://amindtocare.com/

You can connect with Simon on Facebook by using this address: https://www.facebook.com/amindtocare

If you are on X, you can connect with Simon and his team at https://twitter.com/i/flow/login?redirect_after_login=%2Fmindtocare

A Mind To Care is also on Instagram, and you can follow them by using this address: https://www.instagram.com/amindtocare/

If you would like to email Simon and his team, I am sure his team would like to hear from you: customerservice@amindtocare.com