The love of a grandparent is a special kind of love. A love that you won’t get anywhere else. I never got a chance to meet my father’s parents, and my mother’s father died when I was just a baby; sadly, my grandmother passed away when I was 21 years old.
When I was a child, I would often scoff that granny was not cool or trendy, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that not only is she cool, but I am exactly like her. We are both show-offs and love to be the center of attention, while my mother, her daughter, is introverted and shy and rarely goes out. And, as much as I love my mother, we just don’t have that much in common. So, our conversations tend to dry up pretty quickly. But with grandmother, we could chat for hours and tell stories and use our hands and make voices when we talk; she and I are both storytellers and loved to try and impress each other with new words that we learned and tell one another fun stories. The love of a grandparent really is different and so special, and I wouldn’t change it for anything.
The love of a Grandparent
Growing up with only one grandparent was always fine for me because it was all I knew. I had nothing to compare it to. It wasn’t until I went to school and heard other kids talk about their grandparents in the plural and It would sadden me because I felt like I was missing out on having two of them.
My relationship with my grandmother was always fun. We had our disagreements and a few fights here and there when I was a teenager, but I knew she loved me at the end of the day. Even when she punished me for doing something wrong, now that I have my own child, I understand more.
Having a good grandparent in your life is one of the greatest gifts out there, you just have more parents, more love, more teaching, more protection. The love of a grandparent is like no other love. With all they teach and having such a diverse pool of knowledge, They can help you become a very well-rounded individual. And, I like to think that my grandma helped to shape who I am today.
The love of a grandparent vs The love of a parent
Thankfully, many of us can say that we know our parents love us. When we become parents ourselves, we love our children despite all the screaming and crying and unidentified stains. Due to the aforementioned screaming and crying, we are often extremely tired and generally very busy. So, sometimes giving our kids love in a physical way takes a “back seat.”
The love of a grandparent is different because they don’t get to see their grandchildren every day as our parents do. Watching your children run around and be happy, joyful little monsters reminds them of a time when you were that same age and ran around the same way. They notice little things that we and our children have in common that we would have never noticed. Our kids run to the door when they know granny and grandpa are coming because they know they will be showered in love and praise and, hopefully, a treat.
Read: Study: Grandparents Who Babysit May Live Longer
Extra love that not everybody gets
WIth multiple grandparents come to a whole bunch of extra love! But, the love of a grandparent is something that not everyone gets. As mentioned before, my own grandparents died before I had the chance to meet them, leaving only my mother’s mother. She loved me enough for the missing three. I know that my mother loves my son as much as she loves me and to be quite honest, I think they like each other more than they like me!
It is interesting how personality traits are passed down through the generations; my grandmother and I were very similar, outgoing, talkative, and expressive people. In contrast, my mother and son are solitary, introverted, and shy. While I am grateful and very thankful for the love of a grandparent, I wish I could have had more; I wish I could have had more time.
When it comes to grandparents, everybody wins
A doctor from the Cleveland Clinic, medicine physician Neha Vyas, M.D reported the following.[1]
“We have noticed that grandparents who are involved in grandchildren’s, or surrogate grandchildren’s lives, are more active. They are entering their elderly years without as many aches and pains because they have something that keeps them young and keeps them mobile.”
She goes on to say that having granny around helps ease the stress of childcare. This is because it is hard to find a childcare service that you trust that is also affordable. But, with a grandparent, you get both because they are happy to look after their grandkids.
Children who spend time with their grandparents are reported to have fewer behavioral problems and emotional distress. She also has a few tips on how you as a parent can help your parent and child.
Tell them your child’s teacher’s name and their friends so that they know a bit more about the child.
If you are not in the same city and are unable to meet regularly, technology has a way around that. You will have to teach your parent how to use zoom so be patient.
If that is out of the question, you can, at least, tell them about each other with pictures and stories. Tell your child about that time you broke your arm and granny helped fix you up. Give them a chance to have the love of a grandparent, even if from afar.
Keep Reading: Always love your mother because you will never get another
Source
- “Close Relationship with Grandparents Benefits Everyone.” Newsroom. September 5, 2019