In this Boomer Grandma’s generation, the grandmother had the old American rocking chair seen in so many Norman Rockwell paintings. I, as a new mother, wanted the newest and best. And that, in my time as a new parent, was a fancy Bentwood version. Unfortunately, the best place to now find those Bentwood rockers is as an antique!
When our first grandchild was born nearly twelve years ago, this Grandma got an education. The newest and best was a new version of a rocking chair that glided rather than rocked. Dutailier was the best of the best, according to the parents-to-be of the grandchild, and there were so many different woods and fabrics to choose from. This Grandma found it difficult to coordinate gliding on the rocker at the same time as gliding on the ottoman, but then this Grandma is mechanically challenged.
Although all of the grandchildren are beyond being rocked to sleep, the Dutailier rockers remain, cushions replaced, but still in the homes of the parents of the grandchildren, relegated to basements or guest rooms out of the way. They still come in handy when a child is ill or just needs some extra cuddling.
It seemed to me, searching on the internet, that Dutailier rockers, or versions of them, are still the rocking chair of choice, gliding, rather than rocking, a baby to sleep.
This generation of Dutailier rockers still come in the most amazing variety of choices of frame and fabric, and have grown up another step in style, and are still a great step up from the hard seats of yesterday. This Grandma thought these were the newest and best rocking chairs for the newest baby grandchildren. They match any modern home interior now.
There are even more varied versions of modern rocking chairs in the marketplace, that are chic as well as useful, and can go retro, such as Mid-Century Modern.
However, this Grandma was in for a surprise when visiting the newest baby granddaughter of a long (we never say old) friend. Their family GG (great grandmother) was there too, and I walked into four generations under one roof sharing the joy of the newest baby in the family.
Yes, the baby was swaddled for her nap, the same as we grandmas have advised new parents to do forever. Yes, the baby was rocked to sleep, the same as we grandmas have advised new parents to do forever. The joy of rocking a new baby to sleep is more joy for the person rocking than even the baby. I love the feeling of my heart being filled with amazing grandparent love that cannot be described, holding one’s precious and beloved newest grandchild, smelling the baby smell, and feeling and watching the new baby squirms, the baby grimaces and smiles as the baby falls asleep.
My dear grandma friend said that I must see the new way of rocking a baby to sleep. I wondered what was to come, as she already has six grandchildren and this newest is the seventh grandchild, but first to the parents of the baby. The sixth, cousin to the baby, is just a little over two years old. I went into my grandma friend’s guestroom where the new parents were preparing the baby for sleep and there was no rocking chair. Instead, there was a 65 cm yoga ball!
The parents said the best advice they got at their prenatal class was to buy a yoga ball instead of a rocking chair. They said the size of the yoga ball depends on the height of the parents. This way the new parents could work their core as well as rock the baby, and it is less hard on the knees than standing and bouncing the baby in one’s arms for exercise.
Then, it came to me. What came before rocking in a chair or gliding in a chair! Walking the baby and bouncing the baby in one’s arms! As usual, long can be better than new.
However, in this case, new is the best. We grandmas are into staying young and vibrant and exercise for good health. Yes, we too, have to be concerned about our knees and want our cores strong. With such joy in my heart, I watched the mother of the newest baby grandchild bounce on that yoga ball with the wonderful look of love and wonder of a new mother, showing feelings that cannot be described, holding her precious and beloved baby, smelling the baby smell, and feeling and watching the new baby squirms, the baby grimaces and smiles as the baby fell asleep.
How lucky is this newest grandchild to have four generations of wondrous love and caring in her life.
For us modern Boomer grandmas, what can be better in the world than bouncing on a yoga ball holding our grandbaby, our hearts being filled with amazing grandparent love that cannot be described, holding one’s precious and beloved newest grandchild, smelling the baby smell, and feeling and watching the new baby squirms, the baby grimaces and smiles as the baby falls asleep. And, of course, some things need not change, such as also watching HGTV, on 24 hours a day, as the baby sleeps in our arms. How many calories can we now burn!
Pure heaven and
Joy,
Mema
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