What Role Can Grandparents Play?
Most importantly, grandparents give unconditional love. Every child needs to hear that he is wonderful and that he will always be adored. Parents have to establish daily routines in order to keep the household running; grandparents can periodically liberate the children from their routines and instill a sense of excitement and adventure. Parents have to set limits, impose discipline, and exact consequences; grandparents should not undermine parents’ standards, but they can usually elicit acceptable behavior with a few hugs and kisses. Parents worry that their children won’t grow up to be responsible adults if things are not done correctly; grandparents see how their own children grew up and can relax, knowing that everything will turn out just as fine. Grandparents can pass on family legends, share photo albums, tell stories about what Mommy or Daddy did when they were little, and keep alive the memories of loved ones who have died. In addition, grandparents give parents a temporary br
