Grandparenting isn’t what it used to be. In fact, more grandparents than ever are raising their children’s children.

Even if you’re not raising your grandkids, you’re probably a much bigger influence on their life than your own grandparents were. Over the past generation, Baby Boomers have started taking a much more hands-on role with their grandkids.

Tom McQueen has lived through this transition himself. A therapist and president of the American Family Foundation, Tom said he heard from person after person that they one thing they wished was that their grandparents had left them something concrete to remember.

Tom took that to heart and wrote, “Letters to Ethan: A Grandfather’s Legacy of Life and Love.” He said it was inspired by the yearly birthday letters he used to write to his son.

He said the book is filled with the most important lessons grandparents should be teaching their grandkids.

He says since we’ve made the leap to where kids and grandparents get on better than ever before, it’s more important than ever to take every advantage of the time you have with your grandkids.

Plus, find out why he thinks that technology is one of the best things and worst things to happen to grandparenting.