I can't sleep. There's something that's been bothering me all day. My little sister got married yesterday, and while she and her husband were away with their friends today, I spent the afternoon with my parents sharing wedding photos with their friends. It was while discussing the marriage that my mom said, "I'm desperate to be a grandmother."

This statement confused me. Why does anyone want to be a grandparent? Doesn't that fill you with a sudden realization of how old you are? If my sister has a kid, I'll be happy for her of course, but I'm dreading the day of being called "Uncle". I'll probably insist that the child address me by my first name like everyone else. I can do without a seniority title, thank you. I'm in no danger of being a father since I'm still single, and God help me if I ever become a grandfather. I've suffered enough mid-life crises without the addition of a generation or two below me. So why does my mom want to be promoted to an old granny?

 

Uh... So you know your family will live on?

 

once your kiddies have grown up and moved on there is this little thing wanting you to be around kids again.
my mom kind of explained it to me once, but she passed while I was 9 months pregnant with her only grandchild...  

 

I'm sorry she didn't live to see your child's birth, but I'm not sure I understand her explanation. The grandchildren wouldn't be living with her and, such as the case with my sister, will seldom get a chance to meet their grandparents. It seems like an inadequate substitute for having children of your own.

 

Not being a parent I don't think you ever would understand.

 

Being a Grandparent:
Knowing your family will live on.
Having the opportunity to look after a child again even if it is only a couple times. It's what many grandparents want.

 

It's being a parent again, but without all the horrible bits and you can give them back.

Myself I really want ed to be called Uncle, it took her 2 years but she's got there. Now trying to get her into transformers, she likes robots and Dinosaurs so I showed her Grimlock.

 

Pretty much this. It's the need to be wanted too I think and a sense of value and that they are helping.

I don't think anyone in their elderly years wants young kids around constantly......they will basically be getting all the good bits, little of the bad and handing them back at the end of the day. Until you have kids yourself I don't think you will see all this and what is involved 24/7.

 

Most people like kids. The best part about being a grandparent is you get all the fun of playing with the kid, but when the crap their diaper/nappy you give the kid back to the parent. Besides, kids make you feel younger.

My dad, after my sister got married, kept saying he wanted 5 grandkids. Now, sadly (since I failed horribly), he's only got 2. My parents love their grandkids, and I love my niece and nephew.

 

being a grandparent is awesome- you get to spoil the kids, load them up with chocolate and sweets and then send them home to mom and dad to deal with the fallout. Basically it's all the good stuff of being a parent without all the bad stuff. Also, kid's are awesome and her's are all grown, so that's why she wants grandkids (Probably while she's still relatively young enough to chase them around and have fun)

 

Kind of what I was thinking too.

 

If you have to ask these questions, then you truly don't understand. Like, at all. I'm not sure we can explain it to you. Some people are meant to be parents, some aren't. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but if one doesn't get it, we can't really explain it.

 

Grandparents love to spoil children without risk, and now that you're by yourself, they can risk it.

 

my mother is grand-baby hungry. While i dont know why for sure- i think my mom- and prolly your mom- just wants a kid around again. The good thing about grandbabies- you get the baby part- but not the 100% commitment that comes with it- like the waking at 2 am, crappy diaper changing all the time.

My mom has a baby doll that she coddles... in her time of waiting for a grandchild. Dont hold your breath on me mom- ill take my pets over a child anyday!

 

Pretty much this and so they can spoil their grandkids.

also your mom may really want to have a baby in the family again.

 

im not a dad yet but i am an uncle

after sister's maternal leave from school for a month was over and his dad going to work all day, i had to take the responsibility of taking care of my nephew. kinda scary since i wouldn't want anything bad happen to him.

i do have conversation with him, i know he doesn't understand me yet but i think it helps him get the idea of how people communicate. as to oppose the baby noises and farts he makes.

 

i'm not a grandparent but my mom is and she loves it... i love being an uncle. my lil niece and nephew are my whole world.

 

I don't even want kids in the first place. Once I'm older, it would be nice to be an uncle, though, for the same reasons Big Dwag mentioned for being a grandparent. Of course, if that's going to happen, I'll have to marry a girl with siblings, since I'm an only child.

 

That's nothing. My mom became a grandma three weeks before i was even born.

 

Ever heard the expression "Never have children - only grandchildren"?