Esther Wojcicki and one of her grandchildren

Grandparents can have such a positive effect on family life – but sometimes, they might overstep, and things can swiftly turn sour.

Research from Michigan Medicine found almost half of parents have butted heads with grandparents over parenting choices, often involving discipline, snacks and screen time.

Yet when families get along, the benefits can be far-ranging – not only do studies show that grandparents who are actively involved in their grandchildren’s lives tend to live longer, but kids with close relationships to their grandparents often experience fewer behavioural problems.

Parenting expert Esther Wojcicki, who is a grandmother to 10 children, is a firm believer that successful grandparenting starts with “respecting your adult children’s parenting choices”.

The author of How to Raise Successful People and founder of the

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