Grandmothers Raising Grandchildren with Paige Butler

Today we are fortunate to have one of the co-founders of Mosaics
of Mercy, Paige Butler, join us. While she holds the official
title of Director of Operations, she, like many of us, wears many
hats in the organization. In this episode, we talk about her
title at home and how she has tied it into one of our programs.
She is raising her four-year-old grandson who has been in their
home since birth, and while she is delighted to be fulfilling the
role of parent, it comes with its own challenges. There are so
many reasons why grandparents step in to take care of grandkids,
whether it is because their children are in jail or battling with
substance abuse, or because the parents are unable to take care
of them or have passed away. Some grandparents help out
temporarily, some are in it for the long haul, and others even
formally foster or adopt their grandchildren. Either way, this is
a journey that requires a ton of support. Tune in for this
episode to learn what you can expect from a support group and how
you can get started with such a community! 





Key Points From This Episode:


Paige’s story and how it has helped her to create a
much-needed support group. 

Get a sense of the kind of situations the members of the
group find themselves in. 

The importance of understanding the many reasons why
grandparents end up in this role. 

Find out what the structure of the Grandmothers Raising
Grandchildren support group is like. 

Hear about the unique experiences that the group focuses on
and provides support for. 

Paige’s lunch and learn events that cover the legal aspects
of raising a grandchild.

Hear about their library of resources for grandparents and
their program for children. 

Paige explains why family tree exercises can be a traumatic
school experience. 

Overcoming the obstacles involved in grandparents having
other grandkids to pay attention to. 

The importance of taking care of yourself first before trying
to take care of your grandchild. 

The role that being part of a supportive community has played
in Paige’s journey. 

Advice for starting a group and finding hope and joy in the
challenging circumstances. 






Tweetables:


“With some grandparents, it has been a mutual decision with their
children and that was in our case as well. Some grandparents, and
that is true in my group, have children in jail, so they are not
sure if it is a short-term or a long-term commitment. Some know
it is long-term. Some have come to this due to mental health
issues with their children; some due to substance abuse, and I
will say that is the most common scenario.” — Paige Butler
[0:02:53]





“We are not just a group that talks about sad things, we are a
group that celebrates victories in our grandchildren and our
children and we laugh and smile a lot.” — Paige Butler
[0:05:57]





“If any teachers or principals or administrators are listening to
me, the family tree exercise causes trauma for our kids. We often
have to seek therapy for our kids because of a simple exercise in
the classroom that is supposed to be joyful and fun.” — Paige
Butler [0:14:45]





“When we are grandparents raising grandchildren, we are parents.
We are not getting to spoil; you don’t get dessert before dinner
at our house – we are more the traditional parent.” — Paige
Butler [0:18:16]





Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:


Paige Butler


The Grandfamily Guidebook


Mosaics of Mercy