Our daughter recently complained about our three year old grandson, our youngest and last baby grandchild, saying three was worse than two. Terrible twos lead into terrific threes, I thought. I asked for an example. She said that when she picked him up from daycare, he insisted that he walk to the car without holding her hand near the street. She said he is old enough to want to be independent, yet is too young to allow him to safely exercise that independence. I understood. Then two things came to this Grandma’s mind and I smiled.
First, he is our daughter’s last baby.
As our last baby grandson, he is our last baby too. As is she, we are enjoying the baby and do not want him to grow up too fast either. Last night, I was at an event where a grandma was “doing the standing rock” with her body, holding the most precious three month old baby boy who was fighting sleep. I almost starting rocking in rhythm and smiled along with her. She said his parents put him in the stroller, but he did not fall asleep so she offered to rock him to sleep. I said he is so warm and cuddly next to you, of course, he would now go to sleep. We Grandmas know and so enjoy the baby grandchild.
Our assertive three year old grandson might be a handful for Grandpa and me when we care for him while his Mother cooks for the holidays. Our youngest daughter got GG’s, my mother’s, love of cooking and her skill. I find following the recipes tedious while she loves to remember her grandmother by cooking those Old World delicious foods. I hope I am honored by my grandchildren as our daughters honor their grandmother.
Second, all our grandchildren were terrific for Grandpa and me at age three.
It was really only seven years ago that our oldest grandson was three. He was far from a handful. Being the oldest and only, he can only be remembered as a gem. Yes, I know, but I am his grandmother, and if I do not love him unconditionally, think he is the moon and the sun and the stars, and let him know this, who will give him that sense that all is well with the world or his grandmother will make it so if she can.
Our next two grandchildren came just four days less than a year apart. Our only granddaughter was more like a girl baby then than now, as her interests lie with sports, not dolls. She and our second grandson are our skilled athletes. Our second grandson was a handful and much better at three than two with us. He is in kindergarten now and trying so hard to be grown up, it is a delight to watch the transformation. There are relapses, but fewer in number.
This Grandma can understand why our three year old last baby grandchild is more difficult with his parents. All children are more difficult with their parents than their grandparents, or at least that is how it has been with all four of our grandchildren. The children are part of their parents’ busy lives. When the grandchildren are with us they are the center of our lives. We grandma friends understand.
This Grandma has a warm feeling just filling her chest. All the grandchildren are coming to Florida for the holidays. Caring for our three year old grandchild is going to be a breeze as I cannot take my hands off him when I am with him anyway. My life is full of Grandma
Joy,
Mema
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