Grandma's Hands; Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

Though identically priced and about the same length, these two tapes about grandparents raising grandchildren offer slightly differing perspectives. In Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, we meet several experts, as well as three women who are unexpectedly raising their children's children, one of whom points out, "I'm 58 and going through menopause, and [my granddaughter's] 14 and going through puberty, and it's not a very good combination, I'm telling you." Focusing almost exclusively on the grandparents' needs, the program looks at the myriad of financial and emotional issues in these situations, including the sad fact that caregivers who take in grandkids sometimes qualify for fewer benefits and programs than do non-related guardians or foster parents; in fact, there's a lot of "falling through the cracks" among these courageous, generous folks. Also profiled on this tape is a residence in Boston called Grandfamilies House, which offers a place to live and the support of those in similar situations. A strong, optional purchase in general, this is definitely worth considering for education, public health, women's studies, and social service curricula. Aud: C, P.In Grandma's Hands, we also meet three sets of grandparents who comment on the challenges of raising young grandchildren at a time in their lives when "they expected to be enjoying a quiet retirement" or taking the kids for a special trip to Disneyland rather than acting as "Mom and Dad." But, in contrast to Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, we also hear from several of the grandchildren themselves, who show remarkable insight into their parents' problems and appreciation for their grandparents' roles, and one of the parents in the middle. In fact, all the participants are well spoken, but particularly heart wrenching is the incredible woman who raised her nine siblings, then had seven children of her own (four of whom died), and is now raising four of her grandchildren. I just can't begin to imagine the love, commitment, and energy necessary to live that life. Neither of these two tapes is overly strong on statistical or narrative detail (in fact, one of them tells us that 4 million children in the U.S. are being raised by grandparents, while the other says that 4 million grandparents are raising grandkids), but, like the first tape, Grandma's Hands is mostly recommended for social service and educational agencies. If choosing between the two, however, note that Grandparents Raising Grandchildren does include authorities on the topic, in addition to its grandparent-interviews, but Grandma's Hands is more generationally inclusive and a bit more professionally done. Aud: C, P. (K. Glaser)