by Dr. Ken Canfield
Being a grandparent is just that—it’s grand. I’m sure you know exactly what I mean.
This is a role to be celebrated every chance we get.
Sometimes I’m interacting with my grandkids and something unexpected or difficult will happen. One of them will misbehave or get hurt or need immediate attention for something. And I’ll think,
Wow, back when I was a father with kids this age, I would have been much more uptight about this.
Has that happened to you? These situations shine light on one of the true joys of being a grandparent: we get to savor the time we spend with our grands and invest in them, but our ego is much less wrapped up in them—we know their behavior isn’t a direct reflection on us or our parenting. And plus, we’re just more mature; we’ve probably moved past those kinds of thoughts.
And in many cases, we’re thinking about positive investments we can make in our grandkids during the time we have. We’re willing to put up with some discomfort or inconvenience because we have a bigger purpose in mind.
And we’re probably very aware that the time with our grandkids is limited, and there will be opportunities to rest and recover in a few minutes or hours. (Of course, those of us who are raising our grandkids have different experiences and far different stories to tell.)
Sure, our grandkids aren’t always easy or convenient, but as grandparents we’re usually much more willing to roll with it and enjoy the good times … and even the messes! I think that’s one of the gifts God gives to grandparents—and grandchildren.
It’s powerful.
Keep enjoying that gift! You really are making a difference.
When do you notice you’re more relaxed as a grandparent than you were as a parent? We (and other grandparents) would love to read about your experiences if you leave a comment at our Facebook page.
