Every relationship has its own value and no other relationship can replace it. The same goes
for the relationship between grandparents and grandchildren. Memories created with
grandparents are a childhood treasure and you want to hold on to its key forever because it
gives you infinite joy.
Unfortunately, most children are raised in nuclear families today and they get to meet their
grandparents only a few times a year. Nevertheless, it doesn’t diminish their importance in
your children’s life. Here are some reasons why your children need to spend time with
grandparents:
They Provide Unconditional Love and Security
Grandparents are the next immediate family for children after parents and siblings. You can
trust them blindly to treat your kids with affection, warmth and comfort. They are like a
security blanket you can always depend on when it comes to the matters of your children.
They are a Connection to Traditions
Over time, some of our cultural traditions and festivals have lost their original significance
and taken a contemporary twist, especially in the chaos of urban life. These days, children
hardly know the stories and rituals behind some traditions. But, grandparents bridge the
gap between the modern and traditional and teach children about their cultural roots and
identity.
They Have Parenting Experience
Grandparents have raised their children and they have decades of parenting experience.
They instil good manners, habits and values in your children. They have a gentle way of
bonding with children and make them understand certain things. Moreover, they love
spending time with their grandchildren while filling in your shoes and sharing your parenting
workload.
They Give Life Lessons
Grandparents bring with them age-old wisdom and experiences. They are always ready to
share stories of their life and world with their grandchildren. They give a peek into life when
technology barely existed in daily routine and there were no swanky malls to visit among
other stuff. Needless to say, they pass on some valuable life lessons to your children in the
process!
But, Should You Draw Boundaries?
There is no doubt that the presence of grandparents can be one of the best things for your
children’s growing up years. However, these days, it is very common to see an unspoken tiff
between parents and grandparents due to the generational gap and change in the modern
parenting styles. In case you feel that grandparents are overstepping their boundaries and
meddling in a way that is doing more harm than good to your child, you should have an open and honest discussion to sort out the differences. After all, both grandparents and
parents have children’s best interests at heart.
Grandparents are the pillars of support for the family. Studies have shown that they can
help raise happier kids. Let your children be around your parents! They need it and you
need it too!
Our generation of parents are always in rush, trying to juggle multiple things and in the process, not being able to spend much time with kids. But, grandparents manage to do our bit and keep them engaged and happy at so many levels.
I think its important to foster the bonding especially when kids become teenagers. They some how lost interest in talking with grandparents when they grow up.