There is a popular saying that the reason grandparents and grandchildren are so close is that they are united by a common enemy. The common enemy being you the parent because chances are likely that you butt heads with your parents as well as your children in a matter of varying opinions.
Meanwhile, for grandparents, grandchildren are the children they never had. The children that don't come with responsibilities, late nights and diaper changes. They are the children that come fully made with filled backpacks for the weekend and get shipped back to their parents in time for actual responsibilities.
Many people argue that their parents were much tougher parents, yet they are the epitome of liberal when it comes to their grandbabies. Or parents would let their grandchildren eat and do as they please, they will not hear of their grandchildren being punished, yet these are the same people who raised us on chores, strict rules and were not ones to spare the rod.
As much as we would like to poke fun at the relationship between grandparents and grandchildren, it is a special bond unlike any other. Perhaps for the grandparents, it is a way for them to parent in a laidback manner; a second shot at parenting, if you will… As for the grandchildren, there are just some things one can learn from their grandparents that they cannot learn elsewhere.
It is the school holidays where I am, and I have noticed a lot of grandkids with their grandparents this week. My next-door neighbours, for instance, are an elderly retired couple. On a regular basis, they would hardly be outdoors, except to do the occasional odd jobs around their house. This past week, however, their grandkids have been around, and the couple have been spending most of their time outdoors. The young boy of around 10 years seems to be shadowing his grandfather. When the grandfather is up the ladder, fixing something on the roof, the little boy would be standing at the foot of the ladder.
While the old lady spent most hours with her granddaughter on the patio, eating or doing some sort of crafts. There was a sudden feeling that swept over me as I watched them. As I watched grandfather and grandson doing some minor repairs, I remember telling my husband that the young boy will remember everything his grandfather teaches him for life.
It did strike a chord as I, too, spent a good majority of my childhood with my grandparents. My paternal grandfather lived with us for most of my childhood, and his mother (my paternal great-grandmother) at some point also lived with us. I can also take a moment and humbly brag that I was my grandfather’s favourite person. We also partially lived with our maternal grandmother for a few years, while attending school in her town.
Those years spent with my grandparents were fundamental in shaping the person I am today. There are things that my 100-year-old great-grandmother said to me when I was young that I will never forget for the rest of my life.
