A letter from Fran
I’m Fran Whitaker — “Franma” to the five small people who run my life now.
I taught second grade for thirty-one years, raised three children of my own, and then discovered that none of it fully prepared me for the moment my daughter handed me her newborn and I forgot every word in the English language.
That Grandma Life is the notebook I wish someone had handed me that day.
What you won’t find: guilt trips, competitive grandmothering, or advice about how the parents should raise their children. Thirty-one years of teaching taught me that every family runs differently and most of them turn out fine. I’m here for the fun part — and for making the fun part easier to pull off.
Start with the grandma names post if you’re brand new to this, or the gift guide for new parents if there’s a baby shower on the calendar. Either way, I’m glad you’re here. There are cookies.
Fran Whitaker, retired teacher and grandma of five
My house motto: their baby, their rules — my cookies
What will they call you?
Classic, modern, funny, Southern, and names from every corner of the world — the whole grandma-name universe in one post, plus how to pick one that survives contact with an actual toddler. Browse the Names
Each name opens the guide it comes from. Start with Grandma Names: How to Choose One That Sticks.
The everyday business of being a grandma — traditions, hobbies, long-distance love, and keeping a life of your own between visits.
Things to actually do with grandkids from babyhood to age six — kitchen projects, garden jobs, rainy-day rescues and sleepover survival plans.
Gift guides and gear worth the money — for new parents, new grandmas, the grandkids, and the guest room they all keep coming back to.
The first-time grandma handbook — choosing your grandma name, newborn visit etiquette, boundaries that keep the peace, and what to say when.
