The Tenpenny Files with Lori Wildenberg

Lori Wildenberg steps into a question most grandparents have never been asked directly.
What role do you actually play in your grandchild’s life?

Not the assumed role. Not the sentimental version. The real one.

Because what Lori Wildenberg reveals in this conversation changes how that role is understood entirely.

Grandparents are not observers. They are not background support. They are not simply there to love, spoil, and step aside.

They are shaping identity.

They are influencing belief.

They are forming how a child understands themselves and the world around them.

And most of that is happening without intention.

Lori walks through the exact places where this influence is either strengthened or quietly lost. She addresses the tension families feel but rarely talk about. The competition between grandparents that changes how relationships form. The damage that favoritism leaves behind.
The distance that grows when a grandparent steps back and assumes their role is finished.

She also goes into something far more difficult.

What happens when your adult children do not share your beliefs?

What happens when you are told what you can and cannot say?

What happens when staying in relationship means holding back what matters most to you?
This is not theoretical.

These are the situations families are navigating right now.

Lori Wildenberg explains where your influence actually shows up, how it is being received, and why small moments carry more weight than anything planned or scripted.

She also challenges one of the most common goals people have for children.

Is being “happy” actually enough?

Or does that mindset prevent them from developing the strength, clarity, and emotional depth they will need later in life?

This conversation brings clarity to a role that has been misunderstood for generations.
And once you see it clearly, it becomes very difficult to step back from it.

Meet our Guest:

Lori Wildenberg is a licensed parent-family educator, coach, and award-winning author who focuses on strengthening relationships across generations.

She is the co-founder of 1 Corinthians 13 Parenting and works directly with parents and grandparents navigating real family tension, including strained relationships with adult children and disconnection across belief systems.

Her work centers on helping families build lasting connection through intentional influence, honest conversation, and faith-rooted guidance.

Lori has written seven books and contributes to multiple publications including Focus on the Family and Crosswalk.

Website:

https://amzn.to/46slded