Wednesday, September 12, 2018

What Kids Say About Grandparents

I think about my grandparents nearly every day. They've been gone quite some time but I still miss them terribly and this led me to wonder what today's kids love about their grandparents. And what do we do when we want to know something? We ask. So, I asked a kid or 2 and thoroughly enjoyed their responses.

No, of course, this wasn't a scientific study. I only polled 93 kids but I still feel I got a good idea of what it is they love about their grandparents.

I got some super cute responses such as--
  • their hugs (3-year-old)
  • coloring with them and rocking with them (3-year-old)
  • they have chicken nuggets (5-year-old)
  • they make me laugh (9-year-old)
  • playing with their toys (4-year-old)
There were some funny ones--
  • they spoil me (5th grader)
  • they have a humungous tv with lots of channels (5th grader)
  • they let us play in the creek mud at low tide (twins age 11)
The activity driven ones--
  • he takes me fishing (5-year-old)
  • they let us have sleepovers (6-year-old)
  • they have a farm and I have fun with them (8-year-old)
Even some big kids (ages 15-23) mentioned they knew they could always go to their grandparents' house no matter what. 

I did notice there were a few reasons that almost every single kiddo mentioned. Enough for me to quickly see a pattern. Nearly every single kiddo mentioned that their grandparents--
  1. listen
  2. spend uninterrupted time with them
  3. show genuine interest in things the kids like and want to do
  4. make the kids feel loved/safe
I don't think they were saying their parents don't do these things but a grandparent can dote. A grandparent can put things off while the grandkids are around. I remember wearing the parent shoes when the lovelies were growing up. Parents love their children but they have responsibilities that take their attention and time such as providing food, shelter, and clothing for their family, paying bills, getting the kids from here to there, home maintenance... all things that are necessary and still have quality time with their kids. Family life is busy and it isn't always easy to find that balance. 

I didn't find any of these responses selfish at all. Who doesn't want to spend time with people who are genuinely interested in them? Who want to do things with them...who listen to us...who pay more attention to us than to our phones.

I mean, did y'all notice how none of those involved buying them things? I did have a couple who added going out to eat and to the candy store to their list but the gist was the same. It was the time. The time gladly and enthusiastically taken to interact with one another. Maybe we have more time when we become grandparents or maybe we simply realize the importance of how we spend our time.

When I think back on my own grandparents, this is the very reason I loved spending so much time with them. It wasn't about what we did but the time spent with them was genuine. They weren't trying to keep me quiet or get me out of their hair. It never mattered where we went or if we went as long as I was with my grandparents, I had a good time and I knew without a doubt I was loved. Unconditionally.

Oh, and when my own two were asked?

Bug (2 years old): "AMMA'S HOUSE!" (Oh, my official grandma name is, Amma thanks to Bug.)
Puppy (1 year old): "BAH!" (That's his word for ball and I had given him a box filled with 48 beach balls for his birthday...LOL)


Both of the kids LOVED the big box of balls so I have one at my house, too.



No wonder grandparenting is such fun. Grandkids are the BEST!

What did you love most about your grandparents?



Please visit CoasterDoodles! 

Y'all can find us on Facebook and 
Instagram (@coasterdoodlessc) and
Pinterest

Use THIS LINK or the code: EMPTYNEST 
for 15% off your purchase!

14 comments:

  1. I love this. Proof that genuinely interested time is better than gifts! What I remember is my grandma saving her McCall' s magazines so I could play with the paper dolls at the back. My other grandma made the best bread, put lots of butter and salt on it, and teased my Swedish grandpa .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What sweet memories. I know your grands will have sweet memories of their time with y'all when they get all grown up. I miss my grandparents every single day.

      Delete
  2. I loved my grandparents to pieces, all four of them, and couldn't ever imagine my life without them. Then, the inevitable happened, and I've had to learn to live without them. The first died when I was 14 and the last when I was 44. It is still so unreal. Grandparents should live forever, right?

    None of my grandparents were "propertied" folks. They had no money, but they had love that wouldn't stop. We didn't have to *do* anything; they didn't have to buy me anything to prove their love. I never doubted it for a minute. They were my rock and my shelter in the storm that was my childhood with my parents. I am because they were.

    For all of us, we need to keep our grandparents' memories alive by sharing their stories with our own children and grandchildren (which I don't have yet!). They live on through our children and grandchildren.

    Thanks for this post. Have a blessed evening. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, grandparents should live forever. I miss mine every single day still. My grandparents weren't wealthy but pretty much middle of the road yet it was the time they gave that meant so much and time is what they gave most of, thankfully. My girls love stories of my grandparents and I love telling them. :) Thank you for stopping by and commenting!

      Delete
  3. Unconditional love. I got that from 2 1/2 sets. I've written about my evil grandma. She did make pop-cycles for us when we were little. It wasn't all bad. She also always had coloring books and a big box of crayons.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gosh how I loved that big box of crayons. I think I remember you writing about your evil grandma but I need to get over there and refresh my memory on that.

      Delete
  4. I had one awesome grandma that I only saw in the summer - she made the best cinnamon toast in the oven - crispy on the edges and buttery cinnamon goodness in the middle. My other grandma lived with us and drove us all batty - but my Dad refused to have her live anywhere else but home - I was 19 by the time ALL my grandparents passed away - wish I would have known them better as I was older.

    That was one of the reasons I started my blog - I found the favorite grandmas diary after she died and I thought "I get to get some insight to her thoughts!" Her entries? "Made chicken, it was cold outside, played bridge."

    That was it! So now my blog is 10 years old - my future grandkids will know everything about me from the age of 40-50 - and beyond!

    But so far neither my daughter (age 26) or my step-son (age 29) want to have kids. :P

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I wonder if that cinnamon toast was the first step in your love of cooking? Same here with my blog and I hope the grandkids will enjoy reading it one day. Your guys have plenty of time to change their minds. :)

      Delete
  5. Little Leo says his nanna (me) & papa(Tim) love him as much as his mum and make him feel safe and wanted. He also says we spoil him but that is ok as that is what grandparents do.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes indeed, that's exactly what grandparents do. And we're quite good at it, aren't we? :)

      Delete
  6. Love this post and I love being the grandparent.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! And I know you do love being a grandparent. :) It really is the best, isn't it?

      Delete

Thank you so much for taking the time to comment! It makes me feel connected to everyone even though we may live far apart! Have a wonderful day!

 
Design by Imagination Designs
Illustration by MerryLittleDoodle
Background by CinnamonDove