Dating, Fashion — This Grandma-Granddaughter Duo Discuss It All

Creating content and camaraderie

Murstein and Rudnick have been tight since Murstein was a baby. The whole family then lived on the same New York block. It was Rudnick’s first foray into grandparenting. “It was exciting to share her with my daughter and son-in-law,” Rudnick recalls. “I walked her carriage. I helped her with her history homework. We enjoyed our close relationship.”

Fast-forward almost three decades, and Murstein has been the one teaching Rudnick a thing or two.

“I never even knew what a podcast was, to tell you the truth,” Rudnick says. “And I certainly didn’t know about TikTok and social media.”

Still, creating Excuse My Grandma has been a welcome learning experience and lifestyle change for Rudnick, a lifelong homemaker.

“Kimberly got me to work,” she says. “All of a sudden, I was working full-time four days a week and leaving my friends behind. So many of my friends were envious of my ability to go with my grandchild and do all the things we are doing.” And now, so many other people want Rudnick’s advice that the two have started a podcast segment called “Ask Grandma Anything,” with queries ranging from whether a woman should keep hooking up with her child’s father even though they haven’t been together for three years (no: “When things are over, they’re over”) to whether it’s an appropriate fashion choice to wear socks with sandals (hard no: “It’s ugly”). Although Murstein and Rudnick are the stars of the show, their family offers support behind the scenes. “My mom finds it funny,” Murstein says. “When Grandma and I are doing our videos, she is often dancing in the background, and you can hear her voice. At some point, hopefully soon, we will involve our family a little bit more.”

“Some of them are camera-shy,” says Rudnick. “They get nervous.”

Forming bonds

In the end, both women stress the importance and rewards that bloom from cultivating intergenerational relationships, which can sometimes be difficult in today’s digital age.

“If you have older relatives or mentors, you can have conversations like we do,” Murstein says.

One tip she offers: Spend time looking through old photo albums; conversations will emerge. “You can start small by asking how Grandma and Grandpa met, or what their biggest mistakes were, or what they knew at your age. Don’t be afraid to be curious.”

Technology can aid communication, too. “Young people and older people today have phones and iPads and computers,” says Rudnick, “and they can see each other via those instruments. You just have to take the time and a little bit of effort, perhaps once a week, to touch base with each other and see how everything is going in their lives.”

Because of the podcast and social media accounts, Rudnick knows what’s going on in her granddaughter’s life. And she loves this project. “This has given me an excuse to be with her much more than most grandparents are with their grandchildren,” she says. “I’ve always said to people, ‘You have to really work at it, because it doesn’t happen naturally. You have to make the effort, and once you do, you’ll reap the rewards your whole life.