A partnership built on making families stronger.
Our mission is to be the trusted village every grandparent and adult child can turn to — before, during, and after the hard conversations. We’ve spent lives and careers understanding what it actually takes to keep an intergenerational family close.
Our Story
Pam Siegel and Leslie Zinberg. Two women. Two lives and careers spent inside real families.
Pam and Leslie didn't set out to write a book. They set out to solve a problem they kept watching families walk into, unarmed. Grandparenting Renew, Relive, Rejoice was the first attempt — fifty-two ways in, fifty-two small permissions to reconnect. It worked. It also revealed the harder truth underneath: connection wasn't a knowledge problem. It was a communication problem, and it went both directions.
So, they wrote a second book addressing the dynamic between parents and grandparents…a grandparent who loves too hard and says the wrong thing at the wrong time. An adult child who wants their parents close but can't figure out why it isn’t working. A relationship everyone wants and almost nobody has a map to guide them. Say It Out Loud, How to Have Honest Conversations Between Parents and Grandparents doesn't take a side. It says, out loud, what grandparents are afraid to admit — that they're not in charge anymore — and what adult children are afraid to say — that they want their parents close, just not in charge either. It hands both generations the same map.
That's when Pam and Leslie realized books are never the whole answer. Families don't get stuck once. They get stuck weekly, over new milestones, new boundaries, new versions of the same old argument. What families actually need is a place to come back to.
That place is called, The Grandparent Village.
Not a blog. Not a course library. A village, in the oldest sense of the word — the place you go because it’s hard to raise a family, or hold one together, entirely alone. Pam and Leslie are the elders of it: two experts who have spent their careers in the exact terrain their audience is standing in, willing to say the thing everyone else is too polite to say.
Every grandparent who's ever bitten their tongue too late. Every adult child who's ever wanted to scream and said nothing instead. Every therapist who's watched a family circle the same fight for the tenth time. That's who the Village is built for. And Pam and Leslie aren't just its founders — they're proof that saying the honest thing, out loud, is what actually brings a family back together.
Our Focus
Two experts. One village.
Two authors, two published books, and a track record of research-backed, real-world tools mapped to the specific places grandparents and adult children get stuck. Our books are focused on issues specifically for grandparents and their adult children navigating today's family dynamics. Take a peak at our drop down menu of a list of relevant topics.
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Small traditions and special treats are often what grandkids remember most, but knowing where indulgence ends and overstepping begins isn't always clear. Explore how to create meaningful rituals that honor your role without undermining parents' rules.
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Conflict between parents and grandparents often stems from differing customs, values, experiences, and education regarding food and eating. For some grandparents, food is seen as a way to preserve cultural family traditions and strengthen the bond with their grandchildren. When grandparents disregard their adult children’s rules by pushing excessive amounts of unhealthy food, this can lead to obesity and negative life-long eating habits.
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Holidays and gift-giving can bring families together or spark real tension over expectations, excess, and tradition. Find guidance on celebrating generously while staying mindful of what parents want their kids to learn about gratitude.
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Financial support, spoiling, and unequal giving among grandchildren are some of the most sensitive topics families avoid discussing outright. Learn how to navigate money conversations with clarity and fairness, protecting both family harmony and your own financial wellbeing.
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Screens have changed childhood — and grandparenting — in ways no generation has faced before. Explore how to set healthy boundaries around technology while staying connected to grandkids in the ways that matter most.
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Few topics spark more tension between generations than differing views on discipline, manners, and "the way we used to do it." Learn how to respect a parent's house rules while still finding your own meaningful role in a grandchild's behavior and values.
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Building trust with all in-laws takes patience, humility, and clear communication, especially when parenting styles differ. Discover how to strengthen this often-delicate relationship without feeling like an outsider in your own family.
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Few relationships carry as much emotional weight — or as much potential for connection — as the one between a daughter-in-law and her mother-in-law. Find honest, practical guidance for building trust and warmth in a dynamic that's often stereotyped as difficult.
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Adoption can bring up questions and sensitivities that grandparents may not always know how to handle. The grandparent role is important: help your adopted grandchild feel like a loved and valued member of the family. Learn what to say, what not to say, and how to talk about adoption honestly and comfortably as your grandchild grows.
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As roles shift, adult children and grandchildren may find themselves caring for the grandparents who once cared for them. Explore how to navigate this new chapter with compassion, communication, and shared understanding across generations.
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There are many reasons why grandparents become sole caregivers for their grandchildren. Most grandparents never imagined they would be in this position. It’s not something they planned for financially, physically, mentally, or legally. The obstacles are overwhelming, especially when you consider that grandparents aren’t as young and spry as they once were.
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Today's grandchildren are growing up with a broader understanding of gender and identity than many grandparents did, and that gap can feel confusing or even threatening. Discover how to stay curious, supportive, and connected — even when the language and norms are unfamiliar.
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Faith and politics can either deepen family connection or open old wounds, especially across generations with different views. Find honest ways to share your beliefs and traditions with grandchildren while honoring what parents want taught — or left untaught — at home.
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Grandparents can be a child's safe harbor when school or sibling dynamics get hard, but knowing when to step in versus letting parents handle it, isn't always obvious. Explore how to support a grandchild through teasing or bullying while respecting the parents' lead.
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Keeping grandchildren safe means staying current on today's guidelines, even when they differ from how you once did things. Learn what's changed and how to align your habits with what today's parents expect.
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When adult children go through divorce or begin a new relationship, grandparents can play a stabilizing, reassuring role for grandchildren navigating change. In addition, “gray divorce” causes upheaval within the entire family. Learn how to offer steady support without taking sides or adding pressure for either generation.
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Few experiences are as painful as being distanced from your own adult children and grandchildren, whether the cause is conflict, misunderstanding, or something deeper. Find compassionate guidance for coping, communicating, and working toward reconnection where possible.
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Physical distance doesn't have to mean emotional distance, but it does require intention and creativity. Discover ways to stay close, present, and involved in a grandchild's life from miles away.
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Every family is a mix of different personalities, communication styles, and, sometimes, competing egos. When a grandparent's need for control, attention, or validation overshadows the family's wellbeing, real damage can follow. Explore how to recognize these dynamics and protect healthy boundaries for the sake of the whole family.
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From favoritism among cousins to awkward moments at family gatherings, grandparenting comes with its own set of social tightropes. Get practical guidance for handling these dilemmas with grace and honesty.
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As children/grandchildren get older and become more independent, they need parents and grandparents less. Adapting to these transitions can be bittersweet for everyone. Learn how to cope with these life changes.
“Say It Out Loud tackles one of family life's most universal tensions: the push and pull between parents and grandparents. With warmth, humor, and clinical insight, Pam Siegel and Leslie Zinberg-therapist, grandparent advocates, and grandmothers themselves-offer a practical roadmap for the conversations families tend to avoid.
— Erin Schlozman, author of The Myth of the Perfect Mom, Therapist, and Founder of 4th Trimester Wellness
Practical tools and honest conversation starters.
Discover Pam and Leslie's published works, including Grandparenting Renew, Relive, Rejoice, 52 Ways to Mindfully Connect and Grow with Your Grandkids, and their newest release, Say It Out Loud, How to Have Honest Conversations Between Parents and Grandparents.