Importance of Grandparents

Grandparents are like an old shady tree lovingly showering their cool shade to the grandchildren. They are all love and warmth for grandkids, whom they can never see hurt or crying. Grandparents are the happiest people on earth when their grandchildren bring laurels and excel in life.

The birth of grandchildren is like a rebirth for the grandparents nearing the dusk of life. They see their own reflection in the kids which gives a sense of life never ending even when they physically bid adieu to this world. Grandchildren are their own blood who will carry on their family attribute into the future. After having lived with grown up, independent children, helpless, innocent little new lives once again makes them feel wanted, and they shower all their love on their new born future. This warmth and unconditional infinite love brings the kids too closer to the grandparents.

There are many reasons why kids simply love there grandparents.

• Patience- Grandparents are obviously more relaxed than the parents, as they have completed almost all worldly responsibilities of raising a family. They listen to the grandchildren patiently and do not get irritated easily. They have the time and wiser experience to listen and understand the kid’s problems. Due to this reason often children share more secrets with grandparents than parents because they do not have the fear of being rebuked. Grandparents have the patience to teach slowly and as many times required. They are less demanding and hence allow the child to learn at her own pace.
• Quality time- Grandparents enjoy playing with kids, telling them interesting stories and happily involving the kids in all their activities.
• The warmth and infinite love- Grand mom will happily cook all the favorite dishes of her dear little grand daughter and grandpa will immerse himself completely in his grandson’s school science project. The unending love of grandparents makes the child feel important. Grandparents are ninety percent love and just ten percent scolding.
• Slower pace of old age- The comparatively slower pace of the aged grandparents matches with that of the little grandchildren who are slowly learning the ways of life. A child can easily follow the ways of folding the paper to make a paper boat, as grandpa folds it slowly!
• The many interesting anecdotes- Grandparents have a treasure of real life stories from their own well lived life. They teach many things to the kids from their own wide experiences by narrating events from their own life. Kids listen to these stories lovingly, as the olden days of their grandparents sound like fairytales. Stories of grandma listening to the gramophone and grandpa traveling in a horse driven cart with a hat and a stick are like fairytales as these exists only in the museums now! The presence of grandparents makes these past things real for the new age kids.
• Mutual exchange- Just as the kids know about the past from grandparents, grandparents too learn about the modern things from the grandchildren. So many grandparents are learning to operate mobile phones and computers from the grandchildren. Such mutual exchange makes them both feel wanted and important.

Advantages of having grandparents at home for the kids

• Respect and care for elders- When older people are around children love to respect elders as they see their parents doing. They observe the different behavior of their parents towards them and towards the grandparents. They know by observing that elders are to be given more respect and as they grow older they have to be loved and assisted more.
• Learning morals- For grandparents morals are not thing, rather a subject, to be left to the moral science class. They lovingly teach morals to the unknowing child through interesting stories and as and when situations arise.
• Teaching social etiquettes and good manners- When a parent asks a child say ‘good morning’ to someone, the child sometimes feels challenged and does not obey. But if a grandparent asks the same, they do without a second thought. There is something magical in the unconditional love of the grandparents.
• Friends- Grandparents are more patient and openly and more frequently express their love for the children. Hence, they become more like friends for the child, who may share more with the grandparents than parents. Grandparents are less judgmental and take time to understand the situation/problem based on their experienced wisdom. This helps the parents to cope when some difficult situations, related to kids, arise.
• Creativity- Kids can be often seen following grandparents everywhere they go. This is because they find everything that grandpa and grandma do, really interesting. Grandparents happily involve the kids in whatever they do and get a loyal little follower. Kids enjoy the simple games of the olden days that grandparents play with them and the art and craft they happily do for the kids. Children learn to do the simple household jobs that grandparents do and enjoy the story making sessions.
• Educated Role Models- When both parents are working, leaving the kids under the care of grandparents is certainly the best option. They are educated themselves and know the ways of the educated society. Obviously they teach the grandchildren good manners, morals and right language. They sincerely want their grandchildren to score higher than their own children in life and so try to groom them on the righteous path of life.
• Knowing the roots- Grandparents are closest representatives of our ancestors, passing on the family heritage. Knowledge of the past gives a sense of pride and of being rooted.
• Knowledge of life cycle- Children naturally learn about the life cycle as they see their new born sibling, young parents and aging grandparents.

Grandparents are certainly treasures of love and wisdom who enrich our life manifold!