10. Not All Grandparents Are Created Equal

Just like grandkids, not all grandparents are created equal. No one told us how to be grandparents, and all we have are the stereotypes from TV or from our recollections of our childhoods.

In the days of old, many grandparents were aloof, distant,overbearing, condescending and not approachable.

To get your grandkids to adopt your desire for them to become financially savvy, this approach or attitude will not work.

You have to be a kid along with your grandchildren to succeed. You need to relate to them on their terms. You can’t be distant, pat them on the head and let if go at that. You can’t just go to the ball game, the piano recital or the play, tell them they did a nice job and let it go at that.

Grandparents today have a diffi cult time relating to our grandchildren’s needs and wants because we can’t always identify with the new age of information and innovation. Many of us are computer literate, use e-mail and have a cell phone, but how many of us text message, download music, watch movies on handheld electronic devices, blog, use iPhones and have a MySpace or Facebook site?