Parents

I’ve been a kid and I’ve been a parent and now I’m a grandparent.  How does that happen so quickly when I’m still so young?

Anyway, I have four kids and eight grandkids, so I’ve got a little bit of experience.  I’m not saying I’m an expert because each one is different and presents you with an infinite variety of happiness, challenges, pride, fear, disgust, amusement, moodiness, anger, tears, laughter and every other emotion…sometimes all in the same day.  You never know everything about them because it changes all the time.  Mine are all pretty good kids, not perfect, but pretty great all the same.

This week, I’ve had two of my grandsons for several days while their parents are out of town.  It’s been quite awhile since I had the day to day routine of a 15 and 11 year old, so it’s brought back a lot of memories.  They’ve been pretty terrific, so I’m not really getting the first-hand experience their parents get to have.  They get up and get ready without a fuss, say Thank You for every little thing I do, don’t fight, and are cute as can be.  Isn’t that what they’re like at home?  I know better.

Their parents warned me that the older one might retreat to text and not talk much.  Well, duh!  I don’t think I came out of my room during high school except to run to get the phone, which was in the hall.  Then I stayed on it for hours or went back to my room to read, study or…what the heck did I do?  I just didn’t find it that fun to sit with my family all evening long.  They called me the “mole in her hole.”  Which was annoying.  I can hardly criticize any teenager since I was one myself and so were my friends.  Even good kids do some stupid, idiotic things.  All we can hope is that they don’t get hurt.

I’m also rediscovering how they go through food, have homework and endless activities, and, in general, take a lot of time to raise.  No slacking off in this job.  Glad I’m still up to the required energy level.  I also get to share their day and spend some time with them.  Pretty special!

There is a reason that we usually have our children while we are young.  The best reason is to watch them grow up and have their own children and watch this wondrous cycle continue.  I loved Lady Violet’s comment on Downtown Abbey, “People forget about parenthood.  It’s the on and on-ness of it.”  When you hear that as a parent, you sigh.  When you hear it as a grandparent, you sigh…and then you smile!