Value of Grandparents!
As Singapore Remembers the Pioneer Generation, families are also appreciating the role of Grandparents in every family’s lives. Grandparents play a significant role in every family unit, and they have certainly played in role in ours. Recently, we worked together with Lego and Yahoo, to write an article for our grandparents.
Here is the article and click to see the original on Yahoo News.
Have you heard the saying, “Something magical happens when parents turn into Grandparents”? I noticed this from the onset when we first announced that the wife is pregnant! Suddenly, there’s a new anticipation in the air. The parents on both sides are equally happy and excited about the new arrival.
And when the baby comes… woooooo there’s a most amazing outpouring of love on the little one. The grandparents can’t wait to carry baby, they sing, do funny faces, and start long debates about how the nose looks like grandpa, the forehead is from 4th aunty, the lips pout just like great-grandma when she was young, and of course the ultimate—baby is an exact replica of daddy/mummy (dependent on which family the grandparents are of).
As the grandchild grows, and as more come along, the grandparents just naturally increase in their love and attention. Each grandparent want to be a part of the child’s milestones, and would take numerous photos and videos to journal the moment!
Through the years, I realised all these acts of love stem from a strange sense of pride. You see, all parents are proud of their kids. So when the kids become parents, the pride doubles as it shows how great the kids have become to have their own kids! (complicated, but if you think about it, it makes sense!) In turn, the grandchildren bring unspeakable joy to the grandparents’ lives. There’s so much love and pride in the grandparents’ eyes after spending time with the young ones.
My kids are all in primary school now. And the grandparents play key roles in their lives. Apart from the tangible stuff like taking care of them & cooking their meals after school, Grandparents contribute much character development and values in their lives.
The most effective way to do this is when grandparents tell stories of how daddy or mummy was when we were young. Through these stories, the children learn the value of sibling love, of hard work, of respect, of trust etc. Initially, they are so amused when they hear these stories. Eventaully, over time, the underlying pride in all grandparents have for their own kids surfaces, and values are imparted.
If you haven’t noticed, grandparents have an amazing reservoir of patience for the grandchildren. While some may say this spoils the kids, I feel it’s this that gets the kids’ attention. When we parents tell such stories, it comes across as a nag or even lame. But grandparents have that special grace with the kids! And with all the time they spend together, the children do take what grandparents say seriously!
At the end of the day, I’m grateful for our parents for playing a very active role in our children’s lives. Through these interactions, the family grows closer—for all three generations—grandparents, parents and kids.
To read our other articles with Lego and Yahoo click on Daddy Daughter Bonding