She has authored and edited numerous publications on family support policies and practices, and has co-authored two volumes widely-known in the family support movement: American Family Support Programs (1987) and Putting Families First: America's Family Support Movement and the Challenge of Change (1994). Bernice Weissbourd is a contributing editor to Parents magazine and is a lecturer at the University of Chicago, School of Social Service Administration.

She is on numerous national boards and advisory committees, is the recipient of many awards and honors, and frequently consults with local and national media on child and family issues.

1.) What is your background and how did you come to specialize in the field of grandparenting?
My background is in early education. It seems to follow that when my children became parents and there was another group of young children, my interest in grandparenting blossomed. Also, through Family Focus centers I am constantly in contact with grandparents who are involved at various levels with their grandchildren.

2.) Since you've been working with grandparents, what is the most significant change you've noticed among grandparents?
How has society's attitude towards grandparents changed? On the one hand, more grandparents today have caregiving responsibility for their grandchildren. On the other hand, more grandparents today are geographically distant from their grandchildren. Both groups deserve attention.

The image of the content grandmother relaxing in a rocking chair, and bestowing unending kindness on all family members is a thing of the past (and probably only a myth). Along with that image was a reverence for grandparents. Today grandparents are usually busy people, many in the work force, and tend to be treated more as equals than as "elders."

3.) What do you like about the Grandparenting: Enriching Lives video... what do you hope grandparents will take away from it?
The grandparents video conveys well the importance of recognizing the cultural diversity in families, includes some good child development information, has a solid message about respecting the point of view of the parents, and can be a helpful guide for grandparents seeking ways to communicate with their grandchildren from far away.

4.) If you could leave grandparents with an essential piece of advice, what would it be?
Because grandparents do not have primary responsibility for their grandchildren's development, they have a special role — to love their grandchildren "no matter what," and to be there for them whenever they seek grandparent advice or comfort.