10 Reasons Why Kids Love Their Grandmas

 By Nancy Jill Thames

                                                                   

What Could Be Cozier Than a Grandma's Lap?

There are some grandmas in this world who rise above the rest. My sister-in-law in New Jersey is one of them. When I think of her, the picture of her holding her infant son snuggled into her lap fast asleep with not a care in the world comes to mind. She still holds children in her lap only now they're grandchildren.

My children couldn't wait to get out of my lap and into their own beds. What makes the difference?

I believe there are 10 logical reasons why kids would prefer their grandmas over their moms.

1. GRANDMAS ARE NOT MOMS. Moms know all a kid's faults (well, most of them anyway). Grandmas tend to think their grand kids are perfect.
2. GRANDMAS LET KIDS BUY WHAT THEY REALLY WANT. (Unless they're the kind who insist on buying clothes because they enjoy shopping for them. Ah, sometimes I'm guilty here!) I remember my grandmother letting me buy a corncob pipe because that's what I wanted.
3. GRANDMAS LISTEN. Let's face it - Moms are usually too busy working outside the home and are not able to give much time to their kids when household chores and homework are calling.
4. GRANDMAS KNOW STORIES. After living so long, who wouldn't? Moms are barely creating their own life experiences let alone recapping what's happened already.
5. GRANDMAS DON'T PUNISH. This is probably the best reason why kids love their grandmas. Grandmas have figured out that if they oversee a child's activities with love and attention, the kids won't be coloring on the walls, cutting their own hair (or their brother's/sister's/ dog's) or clogging the toilet with marbles.
6. GRANDMAS SAVE KIDS' STUFF TO SHOW THEM LATER. Who doesn't love looking at thank-you cards they wrote or works of art they created when they were little? This is called validation that a person is important to someone.
7. GRANDMAS HAVE PATIENCE. After the children grow up and leave the nest, who wouldn't?
8. GRANDMAS PRAISE. Parents are usually too busy instructing. Not all and not all the time. My own daughter and daughter-in-law praise good manners and good grades. But grandmas can praise kids' character development, milestone achievements, and small achievements (tying shoes, learning to ride a bike etc.) in such a way that the child feels special. Remember, grandmas are not parents.
9. GRANDMAS GIVE MONEY. Parents usually pay kids for chores or babysitting. Grandmas don't need a reason - they just give because they love their grand kids.
10. GRANDMAS ARE SOFT. Like aged beef, grandmas' bodies have settled just enough to wobble and float. Not that beef wobbles and floats, but it does get more tender the older it gets. Kids are tactile. I remember asking my own grandmother if I could feel the underside of her upper arm because I loved how soft it was.

So there you have it - my 10 reasons why kids love their grandmas. I could have listed more but I thought I'd let you add yours. If you're a grandma (or have one), what makes you or them special? 

See you in my books!

 ~Nancy Jill 

Mystery novelist Nancy Jill Thames began publishing Christian fiction in 2010. The author of six books in the Jillian Bradley series, she is an award winning blogger and is listed numerous times on the Author Watch Bestseller’s List, this in addition to winning first place in her church's 4th of July Celebration for her chocolate cream pie.

When she isn’t plotting her next book, she spends time with her six grandchildren, tags along with her husband on business trips, and plays classical piano for her personal enjoyment. She is an active member of the Leander Writers' Guild, American Christian Fiction Writers, ACFW CenTex Chapter, and supports the Central Texas SPCA with a portion of her book sales. CONTACT INFORMATION jillthames@gmail.com

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