Relationships with grandchildren are among the most cherished that adults experience. And yet, that relationship comes with rules and challenges. Almost half of parents report having conflicts with their children’s grandparents about discipline, food, screen time and bedtime among other issues. Some parents feel frustrated but don’t want to rock the boat or hurt their parents’ feelings. Grandparents may hate being told what to do by their own kids or truly believe they know better. Some grandparents are accustomed to offering unsolicited advice which they may have done throughout their child’s lives, even though it isn’t really helpful. And finally some grandparents just hate stepping down from the position of being the wise one.
In some cases, parents are intentionally doing things differently from their parents. Neuroscience has taught us a lot more about child development and the impact of the parent-child relationship but grandparents are not always open to learning about these ideas. As we age change can be hard, especially about deeply held cultural beliefs and values.
Listen to this conversation between two seasoned Peace At Home teachers, one of whom is a grandparent and the other is a parent dealing daily with her children’s grandparents. Bring your questions, comments, success stories and worries. Let’s untangle this age old challenge together on behalf of the kids!