Go-To Grandma Podcast: With Kathy Buckworth on Grandparenting and Retiring Your Way
Published January 28, 2022 • 7 Min Read
Hear funny, heartwarming and real-world grandparenting tips and experiences from Kathy Buckworth and her celebrity guests in each episode of Go-To Grandma. Plus, RBC retirement professionals join to discuss planning, funding and thoroughly enjoying your retirement.
Wine, Women, Song… and Smarts
In this pre-holiday episode of Go To Grandma, Kathy Buckworth invites wine expert Natalie MacLean to the show, who offers advice on what wines to pull out during the festive season – whether pairing with a turkey dinner, serving at a cocktail party or giving as a gift (hint: Bubbly hits the mark for every occasion!). Next, music educator Cynthia Kinnunnen joins to talk about the power of making music, sharing its ability to improve cognitive functioning, build empathy and bring people together. Her stories about her ukulele students will inspire listeners to pick up an instrument and get their families and friends involved in learning together! Kobo’s Zach Sandor Kerr also chats about the growth of audio books and how they can help people fit more reading into their lives.
Want to raise money smart kids and grandkids? Don’t miss Take Five With RBC at the 15:00 minute mark when Kathy chats with Gaurav Kapoor, CEO and co-founder of Mydoh, a family banking app powered by RBC. Kapoor talks about the importance of building money management skills, and the gap in learning opportunities available for youth. MyDoh offers kids financial independence as well as the platform for parents to teach them the value of money in a simple, safe and secure way.
Magazine!
Tired of being told what you can and can’t wear after the age of 50? In this episode of Go To Grandma, Kathy Buckworth chats with fashion icon Jeanne Beker about creating a signature style, getting playful with accessories and what’s trending for the winter season. Next, she welcomes Dr. Sarah Stoller to the show, who discusses the new era of “intensified grandparenting” and the changing roles of grandparenting throughout history. Josey Vogels chats next about downsizing in today’s market and offers tips for anyone considering a move. “Start purging yesterday,” she says.
Don’t miss Take Five with RBC at the 20:00 minute mark, when Rick Lowe, Vice President of Retirement Strategy shares a new RBC resource that helps support unsung heroes – family caregivers. CareEasy is a collaborative solution that allows the family caregiver to seek help from family members, track expenses and keep each other up to date on the care of their loved one.
Get Writing! Memoirs & Estate Planning
Writing a memoir and writing a will are two very different exercises and Kathy Buckworth covers both in this episode of Go To Grandma. First, she chats with retired Canadian radio and television host Ralph Benmergui about his new book I thought I Thought He Was Dead, a spiritual memoir that examines what it’s like to grow old in our society and challenges seniors to find a new purpose. He discusses the concept of ‘aging to saging,’ which involves elbowing oneself back into the conversation as a valued, important elder. Next, Kathy chats with Cathy Gildiner, a clinical psychologist and author with three New York Times Best Selling memoirs to her name. Cathy talks about how to approach writing a memoir and offers tips for managing family members who may get offended by what you put to paper.
Don’t miss Take 5 With RBC at the 20:00 minute mark. Leanne Kaufman, President and CEO of RBC Royal Trust joins to talk about the importance of having a will and shares ways to make late life planning as easy as possible for you and your family members.
Halloween Special
In this Halloween edition of Go To Grandma, host Kathy Buckworth chats with Denise Wild about DIY costumes and decorations for grandkids and grandparents alike. Who needs expensive and hard-to-store Halloween gear when you can make it yourself with old clothes, a bit of spray paint, toilet paper rolls and some imagination? Next, she speaks with Anne Brodie about family-friendly Halloween films suitable for kids of every age – from mild spookiness to entertaining thrills that won’t keep youngsters awake at night.
At the 18-minute mark, be sure to catch Take 5 With RBC, featuring Brenda Heming, a senior who is pursuing her passions post-retirement. A yoga instructor who specializes in chair yoga, Brenda is teaching chair yoga classes through Boomerang – an online workshop platform designed for people over 50. Brenda takes listeners through a series of poses that are all done sitting down, invigorating both body and mind by demonstrating that staying fit, curious and fearless can lead to a rewarding Second Act.
Sleep Strategies, Grandparents and Disabled Grandkids, Passionate Retirements
How did you sleep last night? In this episode of Go To Grandma, host Kathy Buckworth is joined by sleep expert Alanna McGinn, whose Good Night Sleep Site is considered the number one sleep resource in Canada. Acknowledging the difference between sleep training then and now, McGinn walks Buckworth and listeners through ways grandparents can support their families through the sleep training phase and maintain routines established by parents. From white noise machines to bedtime stories, her tips can help families with young children get a good night’s rest… wherever they are.
Buckworth then chats with Lisa Thornbury, whose daughter Avery was born with a rare genetic disorder. They discuss the challenges and triumphs of a disabled family, the evolution of language around disability and the unique role grandparents can play to support both children and grandchildren.
At the 18-minute mark, don’t miss Take 5 With RBC as Natalina Bombino Campagnolo shares her Second Act, running an Italian cooking school in her retirement years (which she reinvented to become an online cooking program during COVID). Natalina chats about the importance of a good financial plan to achieve one’s retirement goals and the need to keep it flexible and adaptable in the case of the unexpected.
Home Tech & Video Games
Technology has revolutionized the way we live, work and play, and is the focus of this episode of Go To Grandma. Tech expert Amber Mac joins Kathy Buckworth to share her thoughts on the technology every grandparent should have in their home, with tips on how to get started with Smart Home devices – even if your technical know-how is limited. Tech journalist and podcaster Marc Saltzman next recommends the best games to play with grandkids that develop skills in collaboration, coding and communication. Not to mention good, old-fashioned competition.
If you’re dreaming of retiring in paradise, don’t miss Take 5 with RBC at the 20-minute mark where Stuart Gray, Director of Financial Planning at RBC shares practical tips and important realities for those thinking of retiring outside of Canada. While you love to vacation in Mexico, can you happily retire there? Find out how to test out your plan.
Arts Party
The art of music, the art of books, the art of retirement – all are covered in this Go To Grandma podcast. Multi-platinum selling artist Matt Dusk joins Kathy Buckworth to talk about the power and magic of music and how it can positively affect young children. Later in the show, guest panelists and children’s book authors Helaine Becker and Caroline Fernandez share what it takes to write a page-turner that kids, parents and grandparents will all adore (over and over again).
Be sure to tune in for Take 5 with RBC at the 22-minute mark, when Rick Lowes, Vice President of Retirement Strategy at RBC reveals insights from the latest RBC Retirement Myths & Realities poll – and how Canadians’ perspectives on retirement have shifted over the last 18 months.
It’s Never Too Early – or Too Late – to Plan
Whether you’re still working and need a better savings strategy or you’re retired and want to fine-tune an existing plan, take a step in the right direction today.
This article is intended as general information only and is not to be relied upon as constituting legal, financial or other professional advice. A professional advisor should be consulted regarding your specific situation. Information presented is believed to be factual and up-to-date but we do not guarantee its accuracy and it should not be regarded as a complete analysis of the subjects discussed. All expressions of opinion reflect the judgment of the authors as of the date of publication and are subject to change. No endorsement of any third parties or their advice, opinions, information, products or services is expressly given or implied by Royal Bank of Canada or any of its affiliates.
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