Being A Grandparent

Being a grandparent, is both a privilege and a pleasure. Being given the honour to help in raising grandchildren is a most wonderful and rewarding gift. Often the relationships with our own children are strengthened as a result of helping with this care. - Written by Susan Clarke

Becoming a grandparent is one of the most wonderful and challenging things I have experienced. I have the pleasure of being grandmother to eight gorgeous children. My first Grandchild was born when I was just 41, certainly still a spring chicken in my book! My friends and colleagues were still having their own families and here I was, not yet ready for my mid-life crisis, no grey hairs, and Grandmother of one.

It was a strange new road I had to undertake, remembering how to hold bottles, burp correctly, follow safe sleeping guidelines and numerous other tactical parenting manoeuvres that I had not thought of since I had my own babies. I discovered the joy of disposable nappies, pre-prepared food and a myriad of singing and dancing electronic toys that kept little ones fascinated for hours. There was the entourage of equipment – high chairs, rockers, jolly jumpers, baby monitors, bottle -warmers, all with technical features that required a Masters Degree to operate. As a partner, I had to place restrictions on the spending of my enthusiastic husband (also a Grandparent for the first time!) who wanted to buy every new child-related gadget under the sun. We both read parenting books, subscribed to magazines and asked anyone who would listen about raising children in today’s world.

Of course, that was ten years ago. Being now a grandmother to eight, I have certainly come along way in my own development and comfort levels when spending time with my grandchildren. I have found a new level of confidence, and minus the occasional hiccough or two, everything now runs like a well-oiled machine. I treasure the 7:30am Sunday morning phone call from our ten year old grandson inviting us to watch Aussie Rules in 20 minutes (you can make it can’t you Mumma?). I take pleasure in the last minute ‘can you please mind/ pick up/ drop off/ supervise’ questions that come through unexpectedly with a moment’s notice. I love that I have added fruit bars, jelly cups, nappies, wipes, small paint brushes and bibs to my regular weekly shopping list.

Although it can present its challenges, as a Grandparent I have access to information that was not available to my parents. With the use of the Internet, parenting magazines, books and classes, I am in a better position to make informed decisions than ever before.

One of the most wonderful opportunities for grandparents that I recently became aware of was being offered by a leading Sydney hospital. Grandparents are invited to attend their own ‘pre-natal classes’, designed specifically for first-time grandparents as a refresher course of sorts, so they could meet other grandparents, allay their fears and learn some of the modern parenting tricks that they may have forgotten since caring for their own children. Most importantly, it was a chance to re-educate themselves regarding the rigors of parenting, to assist them to be supportive, responsive, hands-on grandparents, and to help build a stronger relationship with their children and grandchild as a result. With these opportunities, today’s grandparent is luckier than ever before. Some parenting techniques have certainly changed with SIDS and safe sleeping, or how early to introduce solids to babies, but the fundamentals are still very much the same. Love, clear guidelines and discipline, predictable routines, and a safe happy home will always be essential. More than ever, Grandparents are able to provide loving assistance to their children, carrying with them a wealth of life experience that no book or parenting class could ever bestow.

The most exciting benefit to being more involved with the care of my grandchildren is the relationships I have forged. I enjoy a level of involvement with my grandchildren that I could never have with my own children. I can afford that extra time to play hide and seek, read a book for the fourth time, or jump in the backyard puddles because I know that at the end of the day, once the children have gone home, I can attend to the washing, dinner and ironing all without guilt or pressure to get through the day on time. I have learnt that the mundane tasks in life can wait because I know it will still be there tomorrow, and time with my grandchildren is precious today. Even though I finish the day more tired than you could ever imagine, the rewards from this far out way anything else.

I am lucky to have an opportunity to experience something magical and am blessed to be able to develop one of the most wonderful relationships on earth. Grandchildren are a gift, and every second I am able to spend with my grandchildren is some of the most valuable time of my life.