Grandparents Don’t Always Need the Perfect Words… Sometimes They Just Need a Crayon.
- Amber Weigand-Buckley
- Jul 27
- 5 min read
If you’re parenting your grandchildren, chances are you weren’t expecting to be in this season of life.
Yet here you are. Loving them with everything you’ve got. Showing up every day. Doing your best to help little hearts navigate big feelings while carrying some pretty big feelings of your own.
Some days you’re looking for answers. Other days, you’re just looking for one simple way to connect.
Not another parenting book.
Not another behavior chart.
Just something that helps you slow down long enough to be together.
That’s exactly what happened to me. Not because I was trying to create a parenting tool.
Not because I was designing an activity for children.
It all started with my fingernails.
My Fingernails Have Better Timing Than I Do.
Honestly, I just had my fingernails manicured and embellished with something very meaningful.
Five little emojis.
Five simple reminders I could glance at throughout the day whenever life started going sideways.
😊 Laugh Often. ✏️ Know Your Limits. 🖤 Love Through the Messy. ☂️ Lean Into Understanding. 🐿️ Love Your Inner Squirrel.
I call it my #ShortYellowPencilRX Emoji Escape Code because every time I look down at my hand, I’m reminded of the very words I’ve spent years encouraging other people to live.
Sometimes…
I’m the one who needs to hear them most.
The Day a Barista Read My Fingernails.
One afternoon I was sitting in a coffee drive-thru when the barista came over to take my order.
She noticed my meaningful mani and smiled.
“What do all those little emojis mean?”
So I told her.
I explained that each one reminds me how I want to respond when life goes mental.
Not perfectly…
Just intentionally.
When I finished, she smiled and said,
“I can’t believe your manicure just made me feel better.”
I laughed and said,
“It helps me every time I look down at it, too.”
As I drove away, I couldn’t stop thinking.
Who knew God could use a manicure to start a conversation about hope?
Tiny Pictures. Big Truths.
That conversation changed the way I looked at those little emojis.
Maybe we don’t always need another lecture.
Maybe we just need something simple that interrupts the moment.
A smiley face.
A tiny pencil.
A heart.
An umbrella.
A squirrel.
Sometimes the smallest pictures remind us of the biggest truths.
Because Sometimes a Squirrel Says More Than a Paragraph.
That’s what inspired these coloring pages.
Not because coloring fixes hard things.
But because coloring slows us down.
And when little hands are busy…
Little hearts often become more willing to talk.
Instead of asking questions that feel too big, try simply wondering together.
“Which squirrel reminds you of you today?”
“What makes that squirrel so much fun?”
“What gets that squirrel into trouble?”
There aren’t any wrong answers.
There’s just conversation.
And sometimes…
Conversation is exactly what a child needs most.
How Much Graphite Do You Have Left in Your Pencil?
One of my favorite reminders is the little yellow pencil.
People often think it simply means, Know your limits.
But I like asking a different question.
What does your pencil look like today?
Is it a long-pencil day?
Or a short-pencil day?
Because our capacity changes.
Some days we have energy to spare.
Some days we’re emotionally running on pencil shavings.
Neither one changes our worth.
It simply changes what we have to give today.
Kids understand pictures.
Adults do too.
Every Squirrel Needs a Backyard.
Then there’s my favorite…
The squirrel.
I don’t fight my squirrel anymore.
I love my inner squirrel.
He’s creative.
Curious.
Funny.
Energetic.
He also changes directions on a dime.
Sometimes that’s my superpower.
Sometimes it’s my kryptonite.
The goal isn’t to get rid of my squirrel.
The goal is learning when to let him play…
…and when he needs a gentle reminder to come back.
I think we all have an inner squirrel.
Life Goes Mental. So Do We.
That’s really what the #ShortYellowPencilRX Emoji Escape Code is all about.
Not having all the answers.
Not pretending life isn’t messy.
Not trying to fix everyone around us.
It’s about creating one tiny interruption when life goes mental.
Just enough space to laugh.
Just enough space to notice our capacity.
Just enough space to choose love.
Just enough space to lean into understanding.
Just enough space to love our inner squirrel.
Because the most important thing about laughter is this:
It shakes us back to reality.
It creates a pause…
Just like tears do.
And in that pause…
We have space to make a decision.
I hope these coloring pages become more than a quiet activity around the kitchen table.
I hope they become little doorways into conversations that matter.
Because years from now, your grandchild probably won’t remember every picture they colored.
But they will remember how they felt while they were coloring it with you.
And sometimes, that’s where healing begins.
A Little Gift for You and Your Grandchild
As a thank-you for everything you do, I’ve included a free #ShortYellowPencilRX Emoji Escape Code Coloring Packet and a page of Conversation Starters for Curious Hearts.
They’re not tests.
They’re not lessons.
There are no perfect answers.
They’re simply invitations to slow down, color together, laugh together, and discover what’s on each other’s hearts.
Here are a few questions to get you started.
😊 Laugh Often
What made you smile today?
Who makes you laugh the most?
What helps you laugh after a hard day?
✏️ Know Your Limits
How long is your pencil today?
Is today a long-pencil day or a short-pencil day?
Is there something you need help with today?
🖤 Love Through the Messy
What feels messy today?
What helped you feel loved this week?
How can we show kindness right now?
☂️ Lean Into Understanding
When did you feel understood?
Is there someone you’re trying to understand better?
What helps you feel heard?
🐿️ Love Your Inner Squirrel
Which squirrel on the coloring page feels most like you today?
What makes your squirrel wonderful?
What sometimes gets your squirrel into trouble?
When does your squirrel need room to play?
When does your squirrel need a gentle reminder?
Before you put the crayons away, ask one last question:
If you could carry just one emoji with you today, which one would it be…and why?
There are no wrong answers.
Just opportunities to connect.
And sometimes…
Connection is the greatest gift we can give a child.
Life goes mental. So do we. Let’s laugh about it.
Amber Weigand-Buckley—a #shortyellowpencil girl living in a neurotypical world—is an Amazon #1 bestselling, award-winning author and founding editor of Leading Hearts magazine,
Her new book, #SisterhoodoftheShortYellowPencils: Mental Health Mayhem One Sticky Note at a Time, is ultimately a book about capacity—what happens when yours runs out faster than everyone else's, and why that was never something to be ashamed of. She hosts multiple podcasts including #RandomDevoThoughts and lives in Springfield, Missouri. Find out more at shortyellowpencilrx.com.
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