Hello u-ni-k blog readers! My name is Karen and I am grandmother to the gorgeous Ida (aka “The Naughty”) and baby Samson (who hasn’t been given his u-ni-k nickname yet but no doubt he will soon join The Naughty and DangerBaby as a regular on the u-ni-k blog pages!). I was flattered when Anna asked if I would be a guest “blogger” and share my thoughts and views on being a grandmother – then panic set in…after all Sarah and Anna are a hard act to follow…but here goes…
When Ross and Anna first announced that baby Ida was on the way, my first reaction was excitement, followed by disbelief that my little boy (children never grow up in their parents’ eyes!) was going to be a daddy. There is also the growing realisation that I was old enough to be a grandmother (gasp!). My thoughts turned to memories of my own grandmothers who like most of their generation were old ladies by their fifties, they had grey hair, wore flowery, cross-over pinnies, dressed sensibly and were expected to behave with decorum, unlike me who zips around in a 2 seater sports car and is known to don bike leathers and ride pillion on Granddad Kircher’s motorbike!!
I started to look in the mirror, half expecting overnight to have turned into a dear little grey haired old lady…would I have to resist a strong urge to start knitting socks and buy a rocking chair…would every other sentence start with “When I was a girl….”. However 3 grandchildren later…(yes 3 in less than 18 months, I have Ida, Samson and Henry) I can confirm I am still relatively normal (my children might have other ideas!). So my top tips for being a grandparent.
- What happens at Nanny’s, stays at Nanny’s (to a point!) Grandparents spoil grandchildren, it’s a fact. I absolutely adore buying things for Ida and now of course for Samson and Henry. I am looking forward to taking them all out for treats and having them to stay. If they want to stay up a bit later and eat chocolate ice cream in bed….who I am to deny them!! However I think a bit of harmless spoiling is fine but be sensible. Mummy and Daddy rule, Grandparents just bend the rules a bit, but don’t break them!!
- Do you really think that’s a good idea?
Everyone is an expert when it comes to babies. However things change with the times….so make suggestions, give advice if asked for it by all means, after all you have had a baby and brought he or she up so you must know something but don’t force an opinion. You might be surprised that some “modern” ideas are actually quite good.
- Everyone’s Grandchild is a genius!
When it comes to bragging about a child, grandparents can very often outdo parents!! One thing I have noted over the years (prior to my own entry into the Grandparents Club) is that if you believed every grandparent’s tales of their grandchild’s ability you would believe 9/10th of the child population of the country was a budding Einstein! Your friends will probably enjoy seeing a few pictures of little Johnny but after the first 50 will probably develop that glazed look normally the result of party political broadcasts! Now I must tell you what Ida did the other day, that child is amazing for her age………………
So enjoy your grandchildren - one thing is for certain, life will never be the same once they arrive but it will be enriched beyond measure.
Well done mum - what a great article. Very funny and witty but really lovely. xx
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