My parents and my in-laws are incredible. I am truly blessed to have such a wonderful family to call on for guidance, love, support and the occasional meltdown. Being a busy mum of two girls in a working household doesn't allow me a lot of spare time so I am lucky that my girl's grandparents find that time and give it back two-fold. And they don't just offer time. They embody the beauty of history and a lifetime of love. Here are some reasons why grandparents are amazing.
They know everything
My girls are in the "why" stage. I'm asked about 243 questions daily and those I can't answer, I direct into the "ask nanny or poppy" pile. Surely enough, next visit or phone call the girls bring out their mental list of unanswered trivia.
Not only this, but they are an endless source of information for me. Rash? Vomiting? Fever? I call them for advice. Screaming baby or milestone worry? Yep, I call them. They've done it before with either myself or my wonderful husband and I won't sell myself short - they did a pretty good job. I trust them.
Time slows down
When they stay at nanny and poppy's they can relax. They usually don't have the appointments or activities planned that require them to rush out of the house. There are no "I don't want to wear pants" tantrums or "I don't want to go to preschool" meltdowns. They can wake when they like and they are usually up much, much later at night squeezing out every excuse they can muster and getting away with them.
That's what I want. I want the girls to have that uninterrupted scheduled time with their grandparents. I want them to make special memories reserved for them, because they won't always be there.
They love to play
Having little children around you and answering their every little need on a daily basis can be draining (in the most loving way). Once I've managed to feed everyone, dress and change a few nappies - I want to sit. Or maybe I even want to do some housework. Most of the time I don't feel like playing dolls or tag. But grandparents do. They know that they're on a time limit. This time tomorrow the girls will be gone and all those tedious housework tasks can be done then. In the meantime, they'll put all their energy into play - which is marvellous.
Don't get me wrong, I play with my girls - often. And I do love it. But not all day, everyday. I can't. I'm obligated to be the boring parent that provides a safe home with well fed and clean children. But grandparents are endless fun for them and I wouldn't want them any other way.
They always have treats
I'm a pretty flexible mum. My girls are not on some no sugar / no fun diet. We eat responsibly and we don't make food a topic for concern. There are certain rules we follow which are simple. Things such as; no ice cream if we don't eat dinner. But at nanny and poppy's the rules can bend and often break. That's okay though! It's not every day the girls get 3 chocolates for morning tea and ice cream for lunch.
A day of "treats" and fun with grandparents never hurt anyone. Certainly not my girls.
They never say no
Grandparents are easily fooled by tears and big eyes. Episodes which would of had them in the "time-out" space at home, instead would end with them getting a hug at nanny and poppy's. Within reason of course. It's not a grandparents job to parent.
They're allowed to let those moments slide and succumb to those little tyrants every whim because it makes them feel good. My girls know how it works and who they are dealing with. They're clever little angels who know how to get their way. And that's fine. I want both my girls and their grandparents to be happy. And when they are together, they certainly are.