How’s it going? Congratulations on your gang of grandkids (or just one swell grandchild), Grandma! Hopefully, being a grandmother is everything you’ve ever hoped for. Are you an awesome grandma? You don’t have to bake cookies all the time or have silver hair to deserve that title – all that matters is that you love your grandchildren 🙂 You can be a fantastic grandmama for your grandkids – whether biological or part of a found family. The world needs awesome grandmoms, and you just might be one of them!
How to handle that whole grandmotherhood deal, when your grandkids say and do confusing things and everything seems to have changed so much since the time you were a young parent?
Times are a-changin’, and the modern world is dragging us, kickin’ and screamin’, into the future. Grandma’s role is not the same as it used to be fifty years ago. You likely have a career, hobbies, and other exciting things to do – being a grandmother is not your only role. Still, it’s a precious part of your life, and what kind of granny doesn’t want to bond with her grandchildren? We’ve gathered a few tips for well-meaning grandmoms on how to be exceptional Grammy.
Times are a-changin’, like we’ve said before. You had your way of doing things, but those child-rearing strategies might not work for your children and their spouses in their parenting journey. Parents today have different ideas about schoolwork, chores, or discipline, and you gotta be gracious about it. Sure, if they ask for your advice, don’t hesitate to share it. Otherwise, best keep it to yourself. Push too much and you might cost yourself the relationship with your grandkids .
The cool thing about being a grandparent is that you can learn a lot from your grandkids. Why don’t you sit down with them and have them teach you about those TikTok reels or what have you? A hip grandma has to keep up, after all! The youngsters are here to explain it all.
Are you the royal granny?
Kids love when someone listens to them without lecturing, interrupting, or being distracted by cooking dinner. They want someone to take them seriously and not judge them. I know I enjoyed it as a child when my nana let me drone on and on about Natalia Oreiro (I dated myself with that reference…)
Make sure your grandchildren know they can always talk to you about anything, even if you can’t follow their cheerful ramblings for the life of you. If the Minecraft monologue perplexes you, just nod, make eye contact, and listen – like in the hostage situation. Ask questions to show you care. If you fumble it, that’s okay_ Worst case scenario, you might get judged for not knowing who Endermans are, but such is grandma’s fate.
Some grandparents might be afraid of “coddling” their grandchildren too much, but truly – there’s no such thing as spoiling a child. Indeed, focusing on material possessions won’t do your grandkids any good, but you don’t need to smother them with expensive gifts. Focus on affection, support, and praise instead.
Show them they are a “big deal” to you, and let them know they can feel safe and carefree in your home. Sometimes you might need to say “no” or correct your grandchild’s behavior, but overall, let the parents be disciplinarians. You are a grandma! You’re there to hug the kiddos and slip some candy in their palms.
It’s time for trivia night for the whole fam!
It’s good to have a semi-solid plan for the day with your grandkids. Consider the activities you have in mind and sort things out in advance without putting the strain of finagling details on your children. If you want to take the bundles of joy somewhere, know how to get there, at what time, and what to bring. The parents will be thankful for saving them from stress.
Sometimes you should just take it easy and let the day flow. Let your grandkids see your daily routine, and get them to join in (safely, of course). Maybe they’ll want to help you knead the dough for pie or plant new blossoms in your garden. Older kids could chop up veggies for lunch. You don’t have to do much to create a fun day for the whole gang.
Are you leveraging your time to the maximum?
Young kids might not have the patience or interest in hearing drawn-out family tales, but that doesn’t mean you should drop the stories entirely. Weave the anecdotes into casual conversations. Tell the kids funny stories from their parent’s blunder years – they always love to hear about that! When they do ask to see the family albums, sit down with them and tell them who’s who. Be the family historian and make an effort to collect pictures, videos, and stories – you might even put them in writing. Once the grandkids get older, this archive of memories will be invaluable.
What makes a great grandma? Do you know the answer? Find out if you’re an awesome grandma or Baba Yaga. Enjoy yourself, and don’t you get eaten by a big bad wolf! 😉
