Podcast
The Grannies
Hosted by Jane Isay and Adesewa Josh · EN
The Grannies bridges generations through candid, funny, and moving stories from real grandmothers—hosted by Adesewa Josh, award-winning international journalist, and bestselling author, Jane Isay.
10episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
How to Be Old
6d ago00:46:39Tap to summarizeModern culture treats aging as a failure state instead of a human stage. We celebrate growth in every form except the one guaranteed to happen to everyone: getting old.
Transcribe →Behind our Backs: When Our Children Start Talking About Us
3w ago00:57:10Tap to summarizeThere’s a moment that quietly happens in many families whenchildren start having conversations about their parents that they never used to have.Conversations about health. Memory. Independence. Safety.Finances. Sometimes out of love, usually out of fear.This episode explores what it feels like when parents lose autonomy, when the role reverses and children starts making decisions on behalf of their parents...and the emotional toll the experience takes on parents as they must relinquish control they've had all their lives
Transcribe →Mother’s Day: Who Is It Really For?
Apr 3000:57:57Tap to summarizeMother’s Day is meant to celebrate love, sacrifice, and the women who raised us. But as families grow and generations shift… the question quietly becomes—Who is this day really for now?
Transcribe →Grannies & Technology: It's Not You, It's The Stupid Computer
Apr 1300:58:58Summary readyAs technology reshapes how families communicate, this episode explores the widening gap betweengenerations—particularly for grandmothers whose communication styles have been disrupted orreplaced.
SummaryHoliday Sensitivity: Love, Boundaries, and Being Yourself
Mar 3000:54:40Tap to summarizeAs families gather during holidays like Eid, Passover, andEaster, this episode explores the emotional complexity of family time—where love, expectations, generational differences, and personal truth often collide.The conversation centers on how older generations navigatefamily gatherings, maintain authenticity, and keep communication open withtheir children.
Transcribe →What Grannies Know About Living Through War
Mar 1800:52:35Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Granny Jane reflects on life during WWII, as well as living through earlier global conflicts. We discuss the anxiety many grandparents feel today as tensions escalate in the Middle East. The conversation explores fears about the future, including the possibility that younger generations could be drawn into war, and how love, family, and intergenerational connection help people cope in uncertain times.
Transcribe →When Grandma Can’t Pay the Bills: Money, Retirement & Family Responsibility
Feb 2700:33:50Tap to summarizeSomewhere in the world, a grandmother expects her children to care for her. Somewhere else, she insists on never depending on anyone. In this episode, Adesewa Josh and Jane Isay unpack money, dignity, and family obligation across cultures — from Western social safety nets to African traditions of reciprocity. Is independence true freedom… or quiet isolation? And when grannies can no longer make a living, where's the money to take care of them going to come from? the state, the family, or both?
Transcribe →Why Grannies Dislike Unsolicited Advice
Feb 500:40:28Tap to summarizeWhy does advice feel supportive when we’re young, but suffocating as we get older — especially for grannies? In this episode, Adesewa Josh and Granny Jane Isay explore why unsolicited advice often lands hardest in later life, when autonomy has been earned and dignity matters most. Through warmth, humor, and lived experience, they unpack when care quietly crosses the line, and why the same advice — like the same grape — can become wine or vinegar depending on the season.
Transcribe →Loneliness in Old Age: Who Keeps Grannies Company?
Jan 1501:01:28Tap to summarizeLoneliness in old age is real — and it’s rarely talked about!What happens when the house gets quiet…and no one checks in?On this episode of The Grannies Podcast, we unpack who really holds responsibility when grannies are left without companionship: family, friends, community, or society at large. We challenge assumptions and start a conversation we’ve all avoided for too long.Who do you think is responsible?#TheGranniesPodcast #AgingAndLoneliness #ElderCareConversation#SocialResponsibility #AgingMatters #CommunityOverIsolation#MentalHealthAtEveryAge #PodcastInstagram #ReelTalk
Transcribe →
Grandma Knows Best: The Matriarchy Has Entered the Chat
Dec 2800:30:21Tap to summarizeGrandmothers don’t retire — they rise.In our debut episode, host Adesewa Josh and special guest Jane Isay uncover the truth every family knows but rarely says out loud: Grandma runs the world…from the holiday table dramas to the healing only she can deliver.This is a love letter to the matriarchs — imperfect, powerful, hilarious, and full of history.The ones who raised us, fought for us, and still remind us to eat something.💬 If you’ve ever survived a family holiday… this episode is your therapy.👵🏾👵🏼 The Grannies Podcast — where legacy pulls up a chair and spills the tea.
Transcribe →