Grandparents and Grandchildren are Mutual Gifts for Each Other!

The Joyful Arrival of Grandparents at Home.

The presence of grandparents in the lives of grandchildren definitely has a positive effect. Recently my parents visited our home and my kids were eagerly looking forward for them. Likewise my parents were excited to interact with the kids. The house feels good with more family members, there's always something cooking, even in the literal sense. The first few hours or days pass by very quickly where each of us exchange information of what has happened in our lives and especially the kids want to describe all the recent events they were part of either in school or at home.

Getting into routine.

After a few days, Grandparents ease into their daily routine. Grandmothers can never sit steady you know, they need to get into the kitchen and help out! This can be a very tense situation in the initial years of one's marriage where before becoming a grandmother, ladies hold the title of a mother-in-law primarily :-). But luckily for us this has evolved into a more mature and collaborative relationship and there is peace, well mostly.

The point is that grandmothers like to cook for their grandchildren and grandchildren are very prompt in creating their wish list. My daughter loves helping her grandmother out in the kitchen and she is the first to certify the dishes as good or excellent. So in the end all of us are happy and there's a lot of good food to enjoy.

Grandfather's on the other hand become outdoor guides and are quick to create their scouts team. My father knows the routine so well by now that he takes his grandson to the park or the grocery shop the very second day after their arrival. They love purchasing chips and biscuits as munchies.

The special events.

Usually the grandparent visits are coupled with either festivals or a planned vacations. This is like the icing on the cake. Having a neutral occasion like a vacation in the

itinerary is always helpful. It helps each of us destress and avoids a burnout. While having grandparents visit the home is lovely it is hard work for all and each one has to make adjustments to their daily routines a bit. A vacation or festival where you can enjoy some outside food helps grandparents focus on the fun aspect with their grandchildren. And what is the point of any visit if you cannot create some special memories and photos.

Healthy competition.

Grandparents I think consider their grandchildren almost like their own children. Well this sounds sweet but practically it is not the same. For example grandparents can sometimes don the role of parents while trying to involve themselves in the studies of their grandchildren. This is a good intention however each parent has their own technique and research has showed that interference in these aspects are not good. It could confuse the child as they would have been used to a particular way of learning taught at school or by their parents primarily. Grandparents sometimes take this up as a task or goal and may also compete with the parents to prove a point. Here lines need to be drawn in a gentle but assertive way which is always good for the survival of these relationships. Teamwork between the parents and communication is key.

Goodbye's are the toughest part.

Every journey has a timeframe and in case grandparents are living separately or far away in another city or country, the trip has to come to an end until next time again. This is very tough for both the grandparents and grandchildren. Grandchildren especially miss them as they are tender souls and express their feelings more naturally. It takes a day or two for them to forget this situation however they experience sadness at least on the day their grandparents are returning back to their home. The promises come as blessings here where grandparents or parents convince the kids and plan for the next visit instantly.

Here's a short youtube on how grandparents play a positive role in all our lives. Hope you enjoy it.

Thank you!