Grandparents and grandchildren!

The relationship between grandparents and grandchildren can be a source to pleasure, affection, understanding and rejuvenation but, as any other family relationship, it needs some care so that one can actually enjoy, grow and learn.

The biggest importance of the grandparents in the grandchildren’s life and for the whole family is the ‘historic’ function, not only to tell stories, to remember situations or funny memories, but too rescue how some moments were important and transforming to the family.

The presence of grandparents also organizes family identity, beliefs and values. The grandchildren, who have the pleasure to live with your grandparents and can learn with them, would be introduced to the family and ethical values without the need for theoretical and verbal teachings.

In this relationship with the grandchildren, they can perform tasks already performed with their children, but now with more experience e less obligation. The parents can encourage that grandparents and grandchildren have a relationship, taking care not to overload the grandparent with orders and responsibilities, because if this happened the tasks wouldn’t be pleasure anymore.

In families where grandparents can perform the tasks of caring for their grandchildren routinely, some extra care needs to be taken. They are not the parents, therefore the rules and tasks shouldn't be defined by them, but by the parents who are the responsible for the education and child raising. 

In this way, the grandparents should be an extension of parental orders and decisions. The functions and rules should be well defined and clearly stated by the parents, maintaining their authority, which at the same time needs to be kept and respected by the grandparents. In families when this does not happen it is normal to see explicit discontentment between parents and grandparents, wearing family relationships and generating moments of stress.

See you next time,

Laura