The changing roles of grandparents
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JoeUser Forums
My parents have taken to being grandparents like ducks to water. They love it with a passion, they can have the joys of having a baby around the place, without having sole responsibility for the child, they are more able to enjoy the fun times. Times are changing for grandparents. When my Mum was a child, your grandparents house was somewhere you went of a Sunday. Just a traditional thing to do. Now Grandparents are getting younger and younger. Mostly dues to parents getting younger and younger. This means Grandparents take a more active role in their Grandchilds life. They can take them out places, look after them. Do more things with them, and have alot more in common with them.
Now because alot of Mums work, and their child is in need of care, the Grandparents can fill that role. They can look after them in the school holidays, they can do so much more. When my Mum was young her Grandparents were alot older, and you had to be on your best behaviour in front of them. Now Grandparents are alot more hands on, they aren't some kind of royalty. They see the temper tantrums, they clean up after the lovely kids.
I think maybe it's something to do with that level of respect that has gone for older people. Children don't seem to have that anymore, and maybe it is because they have a lot more access to older people now, so to put it harshly the novelty has wore off. When my Mum was a kid, it was drummed into her to be polite to older people, to be polite to her Grandparents, and because you didn't see them very often, and they were alot older, children generally were polite. Times have changed. No longer do older people hold that element of mystery, they are just another thorn in the side of a generation wanting to grow up to quickly.
My relationship with my Grandparents was similar to my Mums. Mainly because I was one of the youngest of the Grandchildren. So though they played their part in bringing my sisters up, by the time I arrived, they were pretty old, and my Mum had gone into the visiting them once a week thing. So I never really appreciated my Grandparents till I got older. I just saw them as a few hours where I had to be on my best behaviour. Now I love them to bits. Don't get me wrong, I always loved them. Now i spend time with my Gramps at the home. He volunteers there. I think he does it to get away from my Nan. It's nice to see. Older people have alot to offer. My Nan is lovely too. I love listening to her talk about Ireland. That is where she is from, and where most of her family is. Where she secretly longs to be I think. My Gramps will never leave though, to set in his ways. I love the little things about them. My Gramps is so blunt, and outspoken. He says what he thinks, and takes no prisoners. He says it's because his life is to short, he says things now he would never have dreamed of saying when he was my age, but he doesn't have alot to lose now. I love that about him. I love the way they bicker between themselves. You can see years and years of bickering, so they have it down to an art form. I really love them, and I don't think I tell them enough.
The roles of Grandparents may be changing, just like the world is changing. They remain the same though. They have the same wisdom, the same love. They deserve the same respect. Some may seem like hard work, but trust me they are worth it. Your time with them may be limited, so take advantage of it while you can. You don't know what you've got till it's gone.
Now because alot of Mums work, and their child is in need of care, the Grandparents can fill that role. They can look after them in the school holidays, they can do so much more. When my Mum was young her Grandparents were alot older, and you had to be on your best behaviour in front of them. Now Grandparents are alot more hands on, they aren't some kind of royalty. They see the temper tantrums, they clean up after the lovely kids.
I think maybe it's something to do with that level of respect that has gone for older people. Children don't seem to have that anymore, and maybe it is because they have a lot more access to older people now, so to put it harshly the novelty has wore off. When my Mum was a kid, it was drummed into her to be polite to older people, to be polite to her Grandparents, and because you didn't see them very often, and they were alot older, children generally were polite. Times have changed. No longer do older people hold that element of mystery, they are just another thorn in the side of a generation wanting to grow up to quickly.
My relationship with my Grandparents was similar to my Mums. Mainly because I was one of the youngest of the Grandchildren. So though they played their part in bringing my sisters up, by the time I arrived, they were pretty old, and my Mum had gone into the visiting them once a week thing. So I never really appreciated my Grandparents till I got older. I just saw them as a few hours where I had to be on my best behaviour. Now I love them to bits. Don't get me wrong, I always loved them. Now i spend time with my Gramps at the home. He volunteers there. I think he does it to get away from my Nan. It's nice to see. Older people have alot to offer. My Nan is lovely too. I love listening to her talk about Ireland. That is where she is from, and where most of her family is. Where she secretly longs to be I think. My Gramps will never leave though, to set in his ways. I love the little things about them. My Gramps is so blunt, and outspoken. He says what he thinks, and takes no prisoners. He says it's because his life is to short, he says things now he would never have dreamed of saying when he was my age, but he doesn't have alot to lose now. I love that about him. I love the way they bicker between themselves. You can see years and years of bickering, so they have it down to an art form. I really love them, and I don't think I tell them enough.
The roles of Grandparents may be changing, just like the world is changing. They remain the same though. They have the same wisdom, the same love. They deserve the same respect. Some may seem like hard work, but trust me they are worth it. Your time with them may be limited, so take advantage of it while you can. You don't know what you've got till it's gone.
