An excerpt from my Mississippi Christian Living article on grandparents who overspend on their grandchildren:

Five-year-old “Stephen” couldn’t wait until his next birthday. And who could blame him? On his fifth special day, his grandparents gave him a pony. On the fourth birthday, it was an above the ground swimming pool.

Rolling her eyes, Stephen’s mother responded, “This has to stop. Every year the presents become more extravagant. I can’t begin to imagine what they’ll give for his 16^th birthday!” If you’re like this family, you certainly don’t want hurt feeling. And, they’re glad the grandparents want to provide gifts and spend time with their son, as they love him so much. 

How can parents handle the over-generous gifts showered on their children by grandparents? “It’s too much, too soon,” remarked a young father. “And imagine how our child feels when we explain we can’t keep a pony where we live. It makes me look like a bad parent!”

What’s the best solution to allowing grandparents to being involved in their grandchildren’s lives without going overboard? Hint: Think education. Can this be done and still maintain your parental authority? Look at some ideas being used by Christian families today.

Click here to read the full article.

Carolyn Tomlin is a Jackson, Tennessee-based author that has been writing and publishing since 1988. She has authored 19 books and more than 4,000 articles in magazines such as Entrepreneur, Kansas City Star, American Profile, Tennessee Home & Farm, Home Life, Mature Living, ParentLife and many others.  You can purchase her full-length works here.