writers in residence

There are scores of parenting advice books out there, and why not? It’s a tough job. Grandparent is the fun role, but even grandmas and grandpas can use a little guidance when it comes to making the most of their time with the kiddos. That’s why Lake Highlands residents Dr. Becky Yates and Charlotte Barnhart recently published the workbook “Creating GRAND Memories A Toolbox for Today’s Grandparents”, which includes ideas for art, craft and culinary projects; activities and outings; spaces for note taking; and lessons about rhyming and storytelling, to name a few. You won’t find any social media or iPhone-related suggestions in this book. It’s about spending time together and making memories — such as hand-painted stones for the garden. Yates, grandmother of 10, has a doctorate degree in speech pathology and is a professor at the University of North Texas. “She has literally spent her entire career either directly working with children developing their communication and language skills, or teaching others the proper means to do so,” says her husband and de facto publicist Murphy Yates, who has lived with his wife on Robin Hill Lane since the 1970s. “She had a lifetime of effective, hands-on experience to draw upon when she put this book together.” Co-author Barnhart, grandmother of four, is a business consultant who also has experience working with children. Lake Highlands artist Colby Jones illustrated the book. He says he drew inspiration from his own family photos. “The cover image, for example, is actually based on a photo of my grandson and me scraping icing from a bowl; I just substituted a toy box for the illustration.”

—Christina Hughes Babb