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Putting the Grand In Parenting
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Our Awesome Opportunity
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We are the best educated, most active, and youngest grandparents in
history.
We have more discretionary income.
We turned our country upside down when we were young and there is no
reason to expect we won't do the same as grandparents.
We "compute more" and "crochet less." When I was in
my twenties and thirties I crocheted a lot. Doilies, afghans, even
a pair of thread crochet gloves for a niece. Now I compute.
We shy away from thinking we are old.
Grand parenting is an "earned privilege."
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Five Incredible Assets
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- Maturity - a tempered approach.
- Experience - provides 'clout' and a wiser approach.
- Perspective - objectivity, an accurate sense of retrospection, not
a trivialization but a sober discussion
- Assistance with time, relief from the strains of parenting, being
a sounding board (solicited), and wise financial assistance.
- Love tempered with forgiveness. The Kimmel definition of love:
"Love is the commitment of my will to your needs and best
interests, regardless of the cost."
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Sacred Cows
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We don't cease to be parents when the nest is empty. An empty nest
is not an excuse to indulge ourselves.
Retirement - the idea that we can stop being vitally involved in family
and community, the idea that it is OK to sequester ourselves in
retirement communities that do not allow children.
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Project Ideas
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Show your grandchildren a photo of yourself when you were a child.
Let them tell you the resemblances and differences they see between the
photograph and how you look now.
Either have them draw a picture or give a verbal description of what
they imagine themselves looking like when they are grandparents.
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