5 Best Things About Grandparents -

The 5 best things about grandparents from a mom’s point of view.

This post was written by my new cyber friend and super cool blogger, Monica. Monica is from Hawaii and blogs at www.thegrommom.com.

Grandparents are amazing. No one can argue with that.

I am beyond grateful for the TWO sets of healthy, wonderful Grandparents that my boys get to grow up with. To anyone who is missing one or more of the Grandparents in their life, I am so sorry. Obviously, God can fill voids by placing other special people in our lives, but I am sure it isn’t easy.

My parents have been staying here in their beach condo for nearly two months this winter, and they are preparing to leave this week to go back to (brrr, cold) Washington State. (Poor folks.)

They’ll be back before long, but my heart is already aching as we will miss them so. After dinner tonight my mom and I giggled listening to Grandpa going back and forth in a hilarious argument with Levi about something totally nonsensical. We were pretty impressed by how Levi held his ground, and never backed down against his Papa. 🙂
It ended, as usual, in an all out tickle-match, Levi taking Grandpa to the ground.

Pure bliss as far as I’m concerned.

So, if you can put up with me being just a little sentimental, I thought this might be a great time to share some of my favorite things about having Grandparents in our lives.

Hopefully you can relate to some of these, and maybe it will remind you to make a phone call, or send an email to the grandparents (or other special folks in your children’s lives,) to say THANK YOU.

FIVE OF THE BEST THINGS ABOUT GRANDPARENTS:

1. You can brag freely and unashamedly about your kids to them.
There is NO ONE else I could imagine bragging on and on about my kids to, besides their grandparents. No holding back. In fact, if I want to exaggerate a little, all the better. (And I have a feeling, when they repeat the story to their friends, it might get even a TAD better than I told it.)

2. Grandparents have thick skin.
When the toddler acts out at them, or the teenager snubs them, I don’t have to explain. They get it. No explanations needed. They’ve been there (hello, they survived ME!) and they will love those kids (and us!) unconditionally. Ahh.

3. When I run out of: energy…patience…hugs…listening ears…
Grandparents can pick up the slack.
They will listen unhurriedly.
They will hug without hesitation.
They always have patience when mine runs out.
And even more…they intuitively know when they’re needed the most.

4. Grandparents can spoil my kids and it is totally excusable.
Those grandparents can get by with murder. And it is beautiful.
Sugar before dinner. Never-ending forgiveness. Treats–even when kids do NOT deserve it.
Because the truth is–isn’t that just GRACE? Do I deserve the unmerited favor that I get every single day?
I can be pretty tough on my kids…Rules rules rules. So, when Grandpa and Grandma come through and bless the socks off those undeserving kids…
More power to them.

5. Grandparents always believe in our kids.
When I am frustrated, or losing hope in certain areas of a kid’s behavior or temperament, Grandparents…have perspective.
I can pour out the things that are getting me down, and in no time, grandparents are able to shed some light on things…from their own experiences (“Look, YOU turned out ok,” bahaha,) or with gentle wisdom–they will turn me around and soon they have even ME believing that my kids really CAN do anything.

I’d love to hear some of YOUR favorite things about grandparents, or the relationship between kids and their grandparents! This might be a good time to give someone a call and let them know how much they mean to you…and WHY. 😉

Meet Monica: