How do grandparents learn how to be grandparents?
I'm just wondering, because my mom and dad have got it totally figured out. They always seem to know when to step in when I am going crazy over the stubbornness of a 3-year-old, the recklessness of a 1-year-old, and the short-sightedness and tiredness of a young mother. How do they know when having to change one more poopy diaper is going to turn me into a raving lunatic? Because it's always then that they grab my diaper bag and say "I'll take care of this one."
Is there a book? Are there formulas? Are there explicit instructions that make it possible for my parents to win over the hearts of their three grandchildren, even as they discipline, tease, play with, teach, and love them?
Or maybe, could their love for their grandkids be a mere reflection of what they feel for the parents of their grandkids?
Have they read and memorized a book called "How to get your kids to never move away"? If not, my mom and dad should probably write that book, because it's working!!!
6 comments:
I never knew how grateful I would be to have Dad walk Jacob around the house so I didn't have to leave the dinner table. They just know that we need help sometimes! It will be hard for me to not be so close by too. Mom and Dad are the best.
How do the grandparents know? It's not like my parents have had any practice--they only have one grandchild. And yet I can just go to their house and do whatever I want because I know they're doing my job for me. So nice. My main goal in life: to move next door to my parents.
Hey, those turkey cookies look as good as I remember them! --Mom
Janel - When I read this post it made me insanely jealous that you are near your family. I guess you won't be coming back to Indiana anytime soon... but really who can blame you! Just kidding.
I thought living in Indiana for three years without family around made me strong and independent in important ways. But now that I'm back (at least for now), I'm very, very grateful. And I'm taking advantage of being near family (siblings included), and I'm loving it because they are so good to me and my kids. Also, the turkey cookies were great. Even after Sage dropped and broke the entire plate before they even made it home.
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