If you have more than one child with children of there own you are probably struck by how different the Grandparenting experience is from one extended family to the others. No matter what your relationship is with your own children you have now added a spouse to each of your own kids. That spouse brings a totally different set of life and familial experiences to your family. When Grandkids are added to the mix ……….You can see where this gets more complicated. I won’t even venture into blended families in this post. I will save that for future discussion.
I bring this up in an attempt to help Grandparents understand how things can get a bit dicey. I am not blind to the unfairness and lack of logic when it comes to time with Grandkids if there are strains in any relationships. What I am vividly aware of is that, because of the legal structure of the grandparenting relationship it is 100% up to us as Grandparents to find a way to bridge any gaps. I am not saying we are going to like it, I am just saying that for the sake of those Grandbabies we must find ways that work.
To this end we must first figure out where we are and start turning a corner towards a better relationship with the parent(s). I am reminded of some of the medicine my Mom used to give us. Like my Mom I can promise that no matter how hard it is to swallow, it will be so worth it.
Thanks for being a Caring Grandparent. Grandpa NEIL