Frequent Meridian contributors Richard and Linda Eyre are currently featured in the cover article of the Summer edition of GRAND magazine, the only national magazine devoted to grandparenting and three-generation family management.
Because so many Meridian readers know the Eyres, and because the article contains tips and pointers that can be helpful to all of us in our families, we are excerpting parts of it here and providing a link to the full article which can be found at https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2025summer/index.php#/p/17.
Here are some excerpts from the current issue of GRAND:
From Politics to Parenting: The Remarkable Journey of Richard and Linda Eyre
BY CHRISTINE CROSBY
How a power couple traded campaign trails for family values—and became America’s most trusted voices on parenting and grandparenting
Before Richard and Linda Eyre became household names in the world of family life, their paths seemed destined for very different trajectories. Linda was pursuing her passion as a music major and accomplished violinist, while Richard was cutting his teeth in the high-stakes world of politics, working on the presidential campaigns of George Romney and Nelson Rockefeller in 1968.
Their love story began with a honeymoon that doubled as a cross-country adventure—a four-day drive to Boston, where Richard would pursue his MBA at Harvard Business School and Linda would share her musical gifts teaching at a local junior high. But even then, their ambitions extended beyond the traditional. Richard and a classmate from France pioneered an innovative course called “Power,” reflecting their belief that business education should serve larger purposes, particularly in the political arena. During their second year at Harvard, their first daughter arrived, adding a new dimension to their already dynamic lives.
Building Political Careers
After graduation, the Eyres co-founded Bailey, Deardourff and Eyre, a political consulting firm in Washington D.C. that would go on to orchestrate numerous successful gubernatorial and U.S. Senate campaigns throughout the 1970s, primarily for moderate Republicans. Their expertise in campaign strategy and management quickly established them as rising stars in political circles.
Seeking a new challenge, they took a leave of absence to manage Jake Garn’s first Senate campaign in Utah—a race that seemed impossible when Garn trailed by 30 percentage points. Their strategic brilliance paid off when Garn not only won but did so decisively, setting the stage for Richard’s own anticipated run for Congress against the incumbent Democrat in Utah’s second district.
Just as they were preparing to announce Richard’s candidacy, life took an unexpected turn.
A Paradigm Shift in London
The Eyres were called to serve as mission presidents for their church in London, putting their political ambitions on indefinite hold. They moved their family of four children across the Atlantic, where they would spend three transformative years working with more than 600 missionaries.
“The experience changed our perspective and our paradigm, as well as our priorities,” Linda would later reflect. Working closely with young people from diverse backgrounds, they began to notice a pattern: the problems and strengths of each missionary could almost invariably be traced back to their home environment and parental influence. This revelation sparked a profound question that would reshape their entire career trajectory—should their contribution to society center on strengthening families rather than pursuing political power?
From Politics to Parenting
Returning to Salt Lake City with a renewed sense of purpose, the Eyres channeled their analytical skills into a new domain. They wrote their first parenting book, applying management principles to child-rearing in what they called “Parenting by Objective.” The result was Teaching Children Joy, which became a bestseller and inspired a revolutionary preschool curriculum called “Joy Schools”—an innovative, do-it-yourself program that spread rapidly across the country and internationally.
Their publisher, Simon and Schuster, recognized their unique voice in the parenting space and commissioned Teaching Your Children Values. The book struck a cultural nerve, becoming a #1 New York Times bestseller—the only parenting book to reach that pinnacle in more than fifty years. High-profile media appearances on shows like Oprah, Donahue, and the Today Show catapulted both the book and the Eyres into national prominence.
Global Impact and Recognition
What followed was an extraordinary period of influence that spanned four decades. Book contracts, speaking tours, and media appearances took them around the world five times, reaching two generations of parents across more than 50 countries. They discovered something remarkable in their travels: regardless of economic, religious, geographic, or cultural differences, parents everywhere shared similar hopes, dreams, and concerns for their children.
The Eyres have authored more than 50 books focusing on work-family balance and parenting. They’ve been featured on major network shows including 60 Minutes, Prime Time Live, and Good Morning America, and once hosted regular segments on CBS Early Show. Their website, ValuesParenting.com, continues to provide guidance and creative programs for families worldwide.
Their philosophy for grandparenting mirrors their approach to parenting: if you want to be a better grandparent, start by improving yourself. They advocate for becoming better listeners, empathizers, supporters, and leaders of three-generation families, working on oneself physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, and spiritually.
A Lasting Legacy
From their early days in political consulting to their current status as America’s most trusted voices on family life, Richard and Linda Eyre have demonstrated that the most powerful changes often come not from the halls of government, but from the living rooms and kitchens where families gather. Their journey from campaign strategists to parenting experts illustrates a profound truth they discovered in London decades ago: the strength of our society ultimately depends on the strength of our families.
Editor’s note: The article also refers to the Eyres new, online course called How to Live the Second Half of Life in which Meridian and the Proctors are participating (see https://valuesparenting.com/how-to-live/)
For more by Richard and Linda Eyre, click here.
