The Kids Are Not Alright
The world kids are growing up in isn’t the same one we knew—and in many ways, it’s tougher.
I’m on a quest to figure out how grandads can step in, step up, and make a lasting difference.
Here are seven things that lit the fuse…
1. “Children Not Welcome”
We’re designing kids out of public life. From kid-free housing estates to “no ball games” signs, children are treated as intrusions. Restrict play, outlaw noise, and we don’t just lose joy—we lose the foundation of social and emotional growth.
2. “Bubble Wrap & Blind Spots”
We protect kids in the real world but abandon them in the digital one. We panic at scraped knees but hand over smartphones with no guidance. Real-world risk builds resilience; digital danger breeds addiction. It’s backwards.
3. “The Fragile Frontline”
When childcare becomes a profit machine, safety slips. Maybe care should be a community responsibility—one grandparents can help meet.
4. “A Bill for Your Grandkids”
National debt is a tax on the unborn. We keep borrowing from tomorrow to fund today, quietly handing the bill to our kids.
5. “Boys Without a Map”
We tore up the old script for manhood but forgot to write a new one. Boys need role models, rites of passage, and real relationships.
6. “The Vanishing Coach”
Male coaches and mentors are disappearing. With them goes informal guidance that shapes character.
7. “The Other Retirement Crisis”
For many men, retirement means losing purpose. But stepping out of work can mean stepping into legacy—if we choose it.
The Bright Side?
You can change who you are.
You can change who they become.
Kids need male mentors, but they’re not getting them. Older men need purpose, but they’re struggling to find it. The Best Grandad Project connects these two groups — generations growing together so we get better men and better kids.
We do it through play, presence, and purpose — giving kids freedom to explore, attention they can trust, and role models they can count on
And in showing up for them, we become better men through community, connection, and meaning.
When grandads show up with play, presence, and purpose, everyone wins.
Better men. Better kids. Better world.
Remember that the best gift you can give your grandkids isn’t stuff—it’s you.