Chief among these responsibilities, weighted very significantly, is; To stay abreast of and support what the parents are imparting to the young minds of your Grandkids. It is tough to let go of the reins of being the parent of your Grandkids parent. I get it.
Trifecta of Guidance
Given my course of study and commitment to this area of being the best Grandparent I know how to be, on the heels of decades of working in Youth Ministry, I can say with some authority that a united front of values is by far the most important gift we can offer our children and Grandchildren. I call this the Trifecta of guidance. When a young impressionable mind hears the same value reinforced that their parents are teaching, it synergizes the impression it makes.
The flip side of this coin is when a grandparent, however healthy or ill-intentioned, contradicts a parent’s wishes. I can assure you that this is why most Grandparent relationships run off the rails. Both of my books were written with the core question in mind, “How much do you want to pay to be right?” This is especially true when you are the inlaw, and you feel, rightfully or not, that your child is not being treated right by their Ex. Let me be clear. Your wanting to spend time with your Grandchildren has nothing, nada, zero to do with how their parents’ relationship has worked out. Please reread that sentence and then reread the Chief Grandparents’ responsibility. Once again, I get it, and it is hard. Please consider this, are you trying to relitigate the past or see your Grandchildren?
If you read 300+ articles, especially those written years ago, you will find that many of the Grandparents’ family relationship problems are somewhat self-inflicted. Please don’t shoot the messenger, but rather be honest with yourself.
Thanks for being a Caring Grandparent.