Real Talk. We're Becoming Grandparents Later in Life—Are You Ready? with Kristen Coffield of Active Grandparenting
Show Snapshot:
Want to be the energetic, trusted grandparent your family can't wait to call? With the average grandparent now 68 (and many becoming first-time grandmas in their 70s), getting physically and emotionally ready isn't optional—it's essential. Because here's the deal. Your grandbaby won't slow down for you—so you need to get ready for them. Kristen Coffield, founder of Active Grandparenting and The Culinary Cure, returns to the show to share a roadmap for modern grandparenting. What's the one habit that fuels strength, mobility, and stamina for toddler wrangling? How do you partner with adult kids without overstepping? What tech, app, and ideas can keep you connected to your long-distance grandkids? Discover a practical game plan to stay capable, relevant, and deeply connected. Get grandparent ready, beauties!
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Quotable:
“Today, the average age of a grandparent is 68 and many women are becoming grandmothers for the first time in their 70s. So get your habits aligned so that you can physically meet the challenges of grandparenting.”
Transcript:
Katie Fogarty 0:03
Welcome to A Certain Age, a show for women who are unafraid to age out loud. I'm your host, Katie Fogarty. Beauties, quick question for you. Any chance you are already a grandparent, or maybe you're hoping to be one soon? Either way, let me ask you this: are you ready? I mean, really ready? Because modern grandparenting looks different. Here's the deal: women are having children later in life, which means people are becoming grandparents later in life.
Modern grandparents are more actively involved with grandkids than ever before. Many are day-to-day caregivers, and even if you're not day-to-day, grandparents today are excited about really being involved in their grandkids' lives, which means you need to be physically ready to show up. Because carrying squirmy toddlers, that is no joke, and getting up and down off the floor to play those toddler games, no joke either.
But it's also way more than physical. Are you emotionally ready to show up and support your adult kids without accidentally crossing boundaries, causing hurt feelings? If you are curious about any of these topics, you are in luck, because we are welcoming back guest Kristen Coffield, the founder of Active Grandparenting. Kristen first came on the show to talk about her nutrition work. She has a wonderful program called The Culinary Cure, but since then,
Kristen's become a two-time grandparent, and she has developed a program that shares a message: grandparenting is one of life's greatest roles, but nobody is giving you the playbook to be the confident, capable grandparent everyone wants around. Kristen has ideas to help you stay strong, set healthy boundaries, and show up for your grandkids and yourself with the energy and assurance that creates deep, loving connection.
If you are a grandparent now or can't wait to be one, if you want to make sure you're healthy enough to keep up with your grandkids, that you are involved and as welcome as you would like to be, this conversation offers a wake-up call and a do-not-miss game plan. Welcome back to A Certain Age podcast, Kristen.
Kristen Coffield 2:24
Katie, I am so excited to be here because when I was on last time, we talked about The Culinary Cure, we talked about hydration, and now we're talking about how those things fit into the third chapter for every woman, and whether they want to be active agers, or whether they are grandparents in training, or they're already active grandparents, this is important information every woman needs to hear about how to age well, how to stay relevant, and how to look great while we're doing it.
Katie Fogarty 3:04
Kristen, I think of you every time I drink water, and I'm not kidding. When you were on the show about four years ago talking about your wonderful hydration practice, and I'm going to link out to that previous episode in the show notes so that listeners can go find it. But you have a wonderful program that you call The Culinary Cure. It's nutrition education to help people thrive and age vibrantly. You really focus on hydration. We're going to talk about how this all maps together with being a grandparent. But as a starting point, let's just define active grandparent. Is this just about being physically fit, or is there more to it?
Kristen Coffield 3:42
Active grandparenting organically bloomed from my own life, and I had been in the wellness space for, well, really, for almost four decades, because when I had little kids and I've got a 38-year-old now, I was talking about probiotics. I was talking about eating organic fruits and vegetables, buying organic baby food even then. So when we became grandparents for the first time, like every grandparent, you're so excited you're going to have this new little person to love. You're changing your relationship with your adult child. It's a really exciting time.
And when you first become a grandparent, you're literally a couch grandparent. You're sitting around, you're holding a baby. It's not all that physical. When we became grandparents for the second time, the rubber hit the road, and all of a sudden, you realize this is an entirely new chapter of your life. The physical demands—they're things we're not doing every day. You're not getting up and down off the floor 50 times a day. Anyone who's ever had to put a baby or a child into a car seat knows that is an Olympic move that we should all be training for. But it's not just that. It's the emotional and psychological connection that we have with our children.
Our relationship with our children is being transformed. We are no longer parenting them, we are partnering with them. And in order to do that well, it takes an active mind, because you've got to be open to the new technology. I mean, guys, the Nanit baby monitor has like a three-screen option. So you've got the tech option, you've got the social, emotional option of, how do you reinvent yourself in this role so you are welcome and wanted?
Katie Fogarty 5:48
And how do you show up helpful? Because if you need help yourself, it changes everything. We're going to explore all of these elements that combine to become active grandparenting: the physical, the emotional, the social, the technology. Let's start with physical. What are the non-negotiable physical capabilities that you think every grandparent should focus on? I know you use the phrase 'grandparent ready.' What does that actually look like?
Kristen Coffield 6:17
So getting grandparent ready or grandparent fit—and this goes back to The Culinary Cure. So The Culinary Cure is really where I teach women how to biohack their habits so they can live younger, longer, and better. And when we talk about that, let me just put a little perspective on this. Gen X and Boomers are becoming grandparents later, because our kids are getting married and starting their families later.
So where many grandparents became grandparents like my parents for the first time in their 50s, today, the average age of a grandparent is 68, and many women are becoming grandmothers for the first time in their 70s. So to get your habits aligned so that you can physically meet the challenges of grandparenting is really a non-negotiable.
And of course, Katie, that goes back to hydration, and this is why I have long been a proponent of hydration, because it is step one for every single wellness goal. Anybody has every goal starts with being properly hydrated. You can't build more muscle if you're not hydrated, you can't strengthen your bones if you're not hydrated, you can't get up and down off the floor 50 times a day, because you won't have good muscle pliability, and everything you do as a grandparent is going to be harder if you're not properly hydrated. So we've got to get the hydration in place.
It's important to focus on nutrient-dense foods, fiber, fat, and protein. You need energy for this job. Children do not slow down. They just keep getting bigger and faster and heavier. And the challenge and pressure is on us to make sure we are ready to step up and meet them where they are.
So the physical is non-negotiable. You want to get in better shape, and that doesn't mean you've got to go to the gym, but it does mean you've got to be walking more. You've got to be working on mobility, stability, flexibility, and strength. And these are all things you can do at home, with weight bands, with some weights at home, by adding in some squats, by getting a weight vest, drinking more water, focusing on a largely plant-based diet, and making sure you're getting enough protein.
Katie Fogarty 8:53
Kristen, I love all of these recommendations. They've been echoed by a number of guests that I've had on the show. I just had Megan Dallman on a few months ago, and she talked about the importance of stability and mobility and really gave us kind of a how-to. One of the reasons why I think Megan Dallman is great to follow is she shows a lot of things visually on her Instagram, and I know that you do too. So Kristen's got a phenomenal Instagram, and she demonstrates things like sitting down, and you do it with a doll. Then you work up to an actual toddler. You demonstrate how there are certain moves that every grandparent needs to make throughout the day, when they're caring for a young baby, an infant, when they're caring for an active toddler, when they're going up and down stairs. So Kristen, can you share with our listeners what your Instagram is, so they can pop over and see some of these grandparent moves in action?
Kristen Coffield 9:46
Absolutely, my Instagram is my name, Kristen Coffield, and what I like to do is put it in perspective for grandparents, right? So I recently did a post on the baby gate hurdles, and if anyone has ever had to lift a leg to climb over a baby gate, you know this is not a move that we do that often, but there are hip openers that we can do that will help strengthen, work on mobility, flexibility, and help us do that move safely. So I show you me actually climbing over the baby gate, but then I show you the hip opener. So it makes sense. Now you understand why you need to do this particular exercise.
So the biggest motivation for women over 55 to reclaim their health and wellness is this idea of staying active as we age, and then once you have grandkids, it like really locks in, because you're like, oh my gosh, I want to be around to take my granddaughter to Paris when she's 13. Well, right now I'm 66, that's 14 years. So what do I want to do to make sure that I can be there for that trip in the future? So everything we do today adds up to our future wellness.
So this is the wake-up call. The wake-up call is you might just have become a grandparent, and now you're seeing what it's going to take to stay younger so you can keep up with this grandkid, and you're motivated to do it.
Katie Fogarty 11:19
What a wonderful motivator. You mentioned Megan Dallman, and I mentioned her as well. She came on, she's a physical therapist, she works with women specifically over 50, and she talks a lot about functional strength training and longevity training. What kind of training have you found specifically for grandparenting? Do you have a daily practice? Do you encourage your cohort to have a daily practice?
Kristen Coffield 11:47
I do. You know, we all have to take it from where we are. Every single woman listening is in a different place in terms of her level of wellness and her level of fitness. So when I talk about the physical, I am not a personal trainer. I am not a physical therapist. I'm just a grandmother who wants to share what we can do that is actionable in our home. And the idea of becoming grandparent fit or grandparent ready, I like to use those terms interchangeably. Women are motivated. When I say grandparent ready, they know exactly what I'm talking about, because we have all had that baby gate moment. We've all looked at a swing set and thought, oh my God, how am I going to get in there? How am I going to get up and down?
And the number one fear in Active Grandparenting is, I'm too old, I'm too tired, I can't do this, my body's not up to it. And the good news is we do have agency over how we age and what our health and wellness is going to be. So when I encourage women to adopt an Active Grandparenting lifestyle, my thought is it is better to wake up early in the morning, dedicate 15 minutes and get a body scan going, so that you know, hmm, my left shoulder hurts a little bit today.
Or, today I'm feeling maybe a little more tired. When you do a body scan, you can really start to listen to what your body is telling you, and then you can make adjustments. So maybe after your body scan, you decide you're going to get up and do some squats. I love squats. As I tell everybody, you only have to go to the gym 10 times a day every time you use the bathroom, because every time you sit down and you get back up, you're doing a squat. So it's a simple, easy exercise to incorporate. I like to encourage grandmothers to develop the habit of being active. And that doesn't necessarily mean a structured workout. It doesn't mean you need a gym membership.
But it does mean you need to move every day for a minimum of 30 minutes and break a sweat once a week. That is minimum. And the reason we need to break a sweat once a week is really for brain health, because as we enter into perimenopause and menopause, we start to see a decline in our estrogen, and that can really hit hard cognitively and emotionally. But when we do vigorous activity, when we break a sweat once a week, we're actually keeping our brain healthier.
Katie Fogarty 14:50
Megan talked about muscle being the currency of aging, and I know that you've also said that. If muscle is the currency, as we enter menopause, we do lose muscle mass, we get thinner. I know that you've talked about the importance of adding resistance training to stay strong. Can you unpack that a little bit?
Kristen Coffield 15:17
Absolutely. So sarcopenia is the condition of loss of lean muscle mass as we age. So this is happening to all of us, and sarcopenia is going to start in our 30s. And there's actually a name for it, because it's that common. There are two ways to stop muscle loss. The first one is strength training. There are many ways to do strength training, and I love strength training with resistance bands. I love hand weights. I am on the record saying, I don't love the gym. I love being active. I love walking. But I can do everything I need to do at home with weights and bands.
The other way to really help slow sarcopenia is to make sure you're eating adequate protein. As we age, women need more protein. So let's just back up a little bit. The average calorie requirement for women in midlife is 1,600 to 2,000 calories a day. So I'm going to take that 1,800 calorie a day woman. If I am eating a minimum of 30 grams of protein per meal, and you really do want to aim for a gram of protein per pound of body weight. So if you weigh 150 pounds, you want to be eating about 150 grams of protein per day. This is a habit shift that's very hard for many women in midlife, because we're told, oh, you should eat less and move more.
Oh, as you age, you need to eat less and move more. And if you're doing that, you're headed in the wrong direction. You actually need to be doing more and eating the right things. You need more energy. So strength training and getting adequate protein are both important steps to slowing sarcopenia and building lean muscle mass.
Katie Fogarty 17:19
So helpful. One gram per pound is a great rule of thumb that you can really work with. Kristen, I want to switch gears now and talk about the emotional and the psychological side of this. You've already touched upon it in terms of this is a massive shift in the relationship with your adult children. Grandparenting comes with very specific emotional challenges. I know you talk about learning to set boundaries, learning to show up in a supportive way. How do you navigate this, especially when you've spent most of your life being in that parenting role?
Kristen Coffield 18:02
Katie, this is the hardest part of Active Grandparenting, hands down. And if I'm going to be 100% transparent, the hardest part of Active Grandparenting for me was learning to shut up. So when I became a grandparent, I had all these ideas and opinions about how things should be done, and of course, we raised our kids 30 years ago.
Things have changed. Technology has changed. And I live by the rule: my granddaughter, my daughter's rules. And the biggest piece of advice I can give any grandparent, especially grandmothers, is: your grandchild, your child's rules. They are the parent. You had your turn. Let them have their turn. And if you want to be welcome, if you want to be wanted, if you want to be part of your grandchild's life, you really have to learn to step back and let your adult child parent. And that can be really hard, especially if you have a strong opinion. And I'll tell you, I have lots of strong opinions. I have a strong opinion about what they eat. I have a strong opinion about the technology they use. I have a strong opinion about bedtime.
But at the end of the day, it doesn't matter what my opinion is, because my opinion is not relevant. I'm not the parent. So I had to develop emotional maturity, and I had to learn to be quiet and supportive. And that supportive role looks different for everybody. Some grandparents are going to be active caregivers. Some grandparents are going to be weekend babysitters. Some grandparents are going to live far away and only see their grandchildren a few times a year. But however you show up, you need to show up as support, not as the decision maker.
Katie Fogarty 20:04
That is such incredibly important advice. Your grandchild, your child's rules. And learning to shut up, that is so powerful. I'm the mom of adult kids. My oldest is 25. My middle is 22. My youngest is 17, almost 18. And I still have strong opinions. I have thoughts about how they should live their lives, the choices that they're making. But I know that my role has shifted dramatically and I don't get to call all the shots anymore. How do you specifically handle situations where you might disagree with how your adult child is parenting?
Kristen Coffield 20:52
So there are going to be times when you do need to speak up, and I think it's important to know when those times are. If you see something that is truly dangerous, if you see something that could harm your grandchild, then absolutely you need to speak up. But the key is how you speak up. You don't want to be judgmental. You don't want to be critical. You want to come from a place of curiosity and concern. So instead of saying, 'I can't believe you're doing that,' or 'We never did it that way,' you might say, 'I noticed this, and I'm concerned. Can we talk about it?' And then you listen. You listen to their reasoning. You listen to their decision-making process. And then you respect their decision, even if you disagree with it.
Now, there might be boundaries that you need to set for yourself. For example, maybe there's something that happens in your grandchild's home that you're not comfortable with. You can say, 'When you bring the baby to my house, I would appreciate if we could do it this way.' And that's fair, because in your home, you do get to set some boundaries. But when you're in their home, you really need to follow their lead.
Katie Fogarty 22:15
That's a really helpful framework. Come from curiosity, not judgment. I love that. And also recognizing that in your own home, you can set certain boundaries. That's a really important distinction. Kristen, I want to talk about the technology piece of this. You mentioned the Nanit baby monitor with three screens. Technology has changed so much since we were raising our kids. How do you recommend that grandparents approach learning new technology?
Kristen Coffield 22:50
You know, this is one of those areas where I think we need to embrace the learning curve. Technology is not going away. It's only going to become more integrated into our grandchildren's lives. So whether it's a baby monitor, whether it's an app that tracks feeding schedules and nap times, whether it's understanding how to use FaceTime or Zoom to stay connected with grandkids who live far away, we need to be willing to learn. And here's the thing: our adult kids are usually really happy to teach us. They want us to be able to use these tools because it makes it easier for everyone. So my advice is to be open, be willing to ask questions, don't be embarrassed if you don't understand something, and practice. You know, if you're going to be using a video monitor, ask your daughter or son to show you how it works before they leave you alone with the baby. If there's an app they want you to use, have them walk you through it. And then use it. Practice makes perfect. The more you use these technologies, the more comfortable you'll become. And honestly, staying tech-savvy is part of staying relevant and connected to our grandchildren's world.
Katie Fogarty 24:12
I love that approach. Be willing to learn, don't be embarrassed, practice. That's such good advice. Kristen, let's talk about long-distance grandparenting. I know not everyone has the luxury of living close to their grandchildren. What advice do you have for grandparents who want to maintain a close relationship but can't be there physically?
Kristen Coffield 24:40
Long-distance grandparenting can be really challenging, but it can also be really rewarding if you're intentional about it. The key is consistency and creativity. So first, let's talk about consistency. Whether it's a weekly FaceTime call, whether it's a bedtime story over video chat, whether it's sending a postcard or a little package every month, consistency helps your grandchild know that you're thinking about them, that you're part of their life even though you're not there in person. Now let's talk about creativity. There are so many ways to stay connected these days. You can read books together over video chat. You can play games online. You can send voice messages or video messages. I know grandparents who have created special traditions like having a virtual breakfast date once a week, or doing a craft project together where they mail supplies back and forth. The other thing that's really important for long-distance grandparents is to make the most of the time you do have together in person. So when you visit or when they visit you, really be present. Put down your phone, turn off the TV, and focus on creating memories with your grandchildren. And here's something else: don't underestimate the power of photos and videos. Sending photos of yourself doing everyday things, talking about what you're up to, helps your grandchildren feel connected to your life even when they can't be there.
Katie Fogarty 26:31
Those are such wonderful, practical tips. Consistency and creativity. I love the idea of virtual breakfast dates and shared craft projects. Kristen, I want to talk about something that I think is really important, and that's self-care for grandparents. It's easy to get so wrapped up in being there for your grandkids and your adult children that you forget to take care of yourself. How do you balance being an active, involved grandparent with maintaining your own health and well-being?
Kristen Coffield 27:09
Katie, this is so important. I cannot stress this enough. You cannot pour from an empty cup. You cannot show up for your grandchildren if you are burnt out, exhausted, and depleted. So self-care is not selfish. It is essential. And I think sometimes we feel guilty about taking time for ourselves, especially when our adult children need help, or when we want to spend every possible moment with our grandchildren. But here's the reality: if you don't take care of yourself, you won't be able to show up for anyone else. So what does self-care look like for an active grandparent? First, it means maintaining your own health and wellness routines. That means staying hydrated, eating well, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep. It means going to your doctor's appointments, taking care of any health issues that come up. It also means maintaining your own social life and your own interests. You are not just a grandparent. You are a whole person with your own identity, your own friendships, your own hobbies and passions. And it's important to nurture those things. And finally, it means setting boundaries around your time and energy. It's okay to say no sometimes. It's okay to say, 'I would love to babysit, but I need a day to rest.' It's okay to have limits. And honestly, modeling self-care for your adult children and your grandchildren is a gift, because you're showing them that it's important to take care of yourself.
Katie Fogarty 29:04
I love that. You cannot pour from an empty cup. That's such an important message. And modeling self-care, that's a gift to your family. Kristen, I want to ask you about something that I think some grandparents might struggle with, and that's the financial aspect of grandparenting. Between gifts and trips and maybe helping out financially, it can add up. How do you navigate that?
Kristen Coffield 29:36
This is such an important topic, and I'm glad you brought it up because the financial side of grandparenting can be tricky. Look, every family is different, and every grandparent has different financial resources. So first and foremost, you need to be realistic about what you can afford. Don't put yourself in financial jeopardy trying to be the grandparent who buys everything or pays for everything. Your grandchildren don't need stuff. They need you. They need your time, your attention, your love. That's what matters. Now, if you do have the resources and you want to help financially, that's wonderful. But I think it's important to have honest conversations with your adult children about expectations. Maybe you want to help with childcare expenses, or maybe you want to contribute to a college fund, or maybe you just want to occasionally treat the grandkids to something special. Whatever it is, talk about it openly so that everyone's on the same page. And here's something else to consider: instead of spending money on stuff, think about spending money on experiences. Plan a trip together, take your grandchild to a museum or a play, go out for ice cream. Those are the memories that will last, not the toys that will be forgotten in a month. And finally, remember that your presence is the present. Just showing up, being there, spending time with your grandchildren, that's the greatest gift you can give.
Katie Fogarty 31:23
Your presence is the present. I love that. That's beautiful. Kristen, as we start to wrap up, I want to ask you about something that I think is really at the heart of Active Grandparenting. It's about legacy and what we're leaving behind. What do you want your grandchildren to remember about you?
Kristen Coffield 31:50
Oh, Katie, what a beautiful question. You know, I think about this a lot. I want my grandchildren to remember that I was present. I was there. I showed up. I want them to remember that I loved them unconditionally, that I was a safe place for them, that I cheered them on, that I believed in them. I want them to remember the times we spent together, the things we did, the stories I told them, the traditions we created. I want them to remember that I was healthy and active and engaged in life, that I didn't sit on the sidelines, that I was willing to get down on the floor and play, that I was willing to try new things, that I was curious about their world. And I want them to remember that I respected their parents, that I supported their family, that I was a positive presence in their lives. You know, being a grandparent is really about creating a legacy of love. And that legacy isn't built in big, dramatic moments. It's built in all the little everyday moments, the bedtime stories, the walks in the park, the silly songs, the hugs, the 'I love yous.' That's what they'll remember. And that's what matters.
Katie Fogarty 33:29
That's so beautiful, Kristen. A legacy of love built in all the little everyday moments. That really captures it. Before we get to our final question, I want to make sure that we emphasize something that you said at the beginning, which is that we have agency over how we age. Talk to me a little bit more about that, because I think that's such an empowering message.
Kristen Coffield 34:00
We absolutely do have agency over how we age. And this is something that I'm really passionate about because I think for too long, we've accepted this narrative that aging means declining, that it means getting weaker and sicker and less capable. And yes, our bodies do change as we age. That's a fact. But we have so much more control over that process than we think we do. The choices we make every single day, what we eat, how much we move, how we manage stress, how we sleep, who we surround ourselves with, those choices add up. They compound over time. And they determine not just how long we live, but how well we live. So when I talk about Active Grandparenting, I'm really talking about taking ownership of your health and your wellness so that you can show up fully for this incredible role. And the beautiful thing is, it's never too late to start. You can start today. You can start right now. You can drink a glass of water, you can go for a walk, you can do some squats, you can call a friend, you can make a plan. Every positive choice you make is an investment in your future. And when you have grandchildren, that motivation becomes even stronger because you want to be there for them. You want to be active and engaged in their lives. And that's what Active Grandparenting is all about.
Katie Fogarty 34:44
We are in charge of how we show up in the world. That's been one of the big themes of the show. And if you want to be fit, if you want to be active, if you want to age vibrantly, it's up to you, and only you, to make it happen. So I love those words of encouragement. If you want to be an active grandparent and to be the dynamic contributor, it's incumbent upon us to get it done. And I will say that when I became a new mom 25 years ago, when my daughter Grace was born, I remember I was knocked out from a difficult delivery. I was exhausted from being up all night trying to breastfeed, managing an infant that was not sleeping through the night, that was eating every two hours, and my mother would come over, and she would levitate around the room with happiness, scooping the baby up, so excited. And I remember thinking to myself, I want to just skip the motherhood part of this and go straight to being a grandmother, because that is where all the joy is at. It's exhausting being a grandparent, but it's more tiring being a mom. And she created such a sense of joy and possibility for me about what that phase of life looked like. She's a super active grandparent, involved with all of her grandkids' lives, and she always has been. So it's such a joyous phase of life. Kristen, I said earlier that I have always been a grandma girl. I had very close relationships with my own grandmothers. I've seen my mom thrive in that role, my mother-in-law. I'm curious, when you think about grandparenting, did you always have this on your vision board? Was this something that you always longed to do and be?
Kristen Coffield 36:16
I had the best grandparent role models, but I also had more grandparents than most people. So until I was 16, there's a lot of longevity in my family. Clearly, I had two great-grandmothers, and I had six grandparents because my father's parents were divorced and both remarried. So here I am, I am the first child, I am the first grandchild, and I've got six grandparents and two great-grandparents. So I grew up with an unusual amount of positive influence from grandparents, and it really helped me become the active grandparent that I am today, and it's one of the reasons I see a need for Active Grandparenting.
Katie Fogarty 37:08
I love that you're so lucky. I only had four and it was enough, but it's such a beautiful relationship. I love hearing that backstory. Thank you, Kristen. My last question for you before we say goodbye, what has been the most surprising or joyful or unexpected gift of this phase of life for you?
Kristen Coffield 37:27
I think the best part for me, besides obviously there are no words to describe how much fun it is to be a grandparent and have this new relationship with these little humans, but it's really kind of a one-two punch. One is the wonderful way it's enriched my relationship with my own daughter and being a partner with her. She calls the shots, I just show up and bring the support and the ready, willing, and able mindset. The other part is watching my husband, who was not able to show up that much—he was busy, you know, when you have your kids, the husband or the wife or whoever, maybe you're both working, sometimes it's hard to be fully present as a parent, because you're just trying to get through the day. And even today's parents are really overwhelmed. It's a lot, and they've got a lot of information floating at them. But to see my husband show up as this active grandparent who is so into it is really fun. So those are the two things that surprised me, but also are so rewarding.
Katie Fogarty 38:51
What a gift, what a delightful gift. Kristen, this has been a terrific conversation. I love what you're sharing, what you're bringing out into the world. We need active grandparents. I've seen how it's made such a difference in the lives of my own children. I was very close to my own grandmother, who I spent so much time with growing up. It's such a joyful role. Thank you for sharing what you've learned. Thank you for sharing your programming with my listeners. I know that this is going to be a fantastic conversation that's going to impact so many women. Before I say goodbye, where can our listeners learn more about Active Grandparenting, learn more about The Culinary Cure, and continue to follow you and your work?
Kristen Coffield 39:32
Thank you, Katie. On my Instagram at Kristen Coffield, there is daily inspiration. And I will also say, if you heard this podcast, go ahead, reach out to me on Instagram through messaging, and tell me you heard the podcast, and let's have a little DM chat. The other place to find me is at TheCulinaryCure.com or ActiveGrandparenting.com, and I have so many resources to help grandparents show up as their best selves and have a lot of fun. This is modern grandparenting at its best. We are the generation that is reinventing grandparenting, and I invite you all to join me.
Katie Fogarty 40:19
This wraps A Certain Age, a show for women who are aging without apology. I so loved this conversation. I was a grandma girl through and through. My wonderful grandmothers were such a big part of my life. Shout out to my grandmother Grace—I named my own daughter after her. I spent many of my teen years trying to beat her at Scrabble, never succeeding. She was elegant, smart, a phenomenal storyteller. My grandmother Millie: beautiful, warm, welcoming, incredible baker. I've made so many cinnamon rolls with her over the years. I loved having these women be part of my life.
I look at my own kids, they're so fortunate to have my mother Judy, my mother-in-law Colleen, who are incredible, warm, caring grandparents to my three kids. We are so lucky, and I hope to be lucky enough in the future to be a grandmother myself. I have taken on Kristen's teachings. I hope to practice them someday. This was a phenomenal conversation. I hope you enjoyed it as well. Special thanks to Michael Mancini, who composed and produced our theme music. See you next time, and until then, age boldly, beauties.