Whether you’re a Grandma or Grandpa or PopPop or Nanna, you know that your place in the life of your family can be both magical and mysterious. If given the time and opportunity for connection, you may play an essential role in the life of your grandchild- so much so that some workplaces are now beginning to offer paid leave for new grandparents to begin to establish that bond!

But making that connection and sustaining a relationship with a grandchild can require significant thought and effort in today’s world. For an overview of how to keep the relationship a close one, put down the family photos and take a look here. And a recent piece by Paula Span in The New York Times outlines the ways that technology, particularly FaceTime, can be used to create and enhance the grandparent-grandchild relationship, even at the cost of suspending “screen time” limitations for young ones. Moreover, as part of the extended family, your job may include being both a cheerleader and emotional backstop for your grandchild. In fact, a recent post in Fatherly outlines the essential words every grandparent needs to say to his or her grandchild to convey the support and love fundamental to the role.

But in some families, the grandparent-grandchild relationship never takes off or even worse, becomes broken or severed. This may occur for innumerable reasons, some of which may be within your control and some may not. The separation can be a painful process. Find out how to cope by reading here. And if you’re looking to connect with others who’ve become “alienated grandparents,” there’s an online source of support and information for that. To find out more, click here.