My fondest memories of my childhood are the times spent with my grandparents. I enjoyed travelling to the village with my family during the holidays, especially the Christmas holiday season. I remember them not being fussy about a lot of things like my parents were. The atmosphere was more relaxed and they loved having us around. We told stories far into the night and played as much as we wanted to but they were not lax in discipline. Now that I am a mom, I can understand a bit why they were not so hard on us - there is only so much you can do. We knew they loved us and we could talk to them about anything. We learnt a lot about farm work, cooking and tending to animals from them. My interest in fashion and design was also piqued by my grandmother's sewing. To us at the time, they seemed like an endless resource of knowledge about a lot of things. My mom encouraged us to keep in touch by writing letters to them.
The importance of family in our lives cannot be overemphasised, many children have been raised by their grandparents either because of the loss of their parents or because their parents are working full-time. The relationship between grandparents and grandchildren works both ways, having a little one with seemingly boundless energy around gives you a new zest for life and an opportunity to impact another life.
There are so many reasons why the grandparents-grandchildren relationship is so important and chief among them are:
- Grandparents provide a secure and stable environment for a child because they love their grandchildren unconditionally. It is easier for a child to accept being reprimanded when it comes from someone who loves them.
- Children find it easier to talk about the issues that bother them with their grandparents and because of their experience, they can steer the youth from exhibiting behavioural problems. This is because they have formed connections with people who truly care about them and serve as an anchor as they try to make their way through life.
- Grandparenting has also come in handy for children who lost their parents early and those whose parents work long hours. They have also saved parents from paying a lot of money for childcare because of their busy schedules. They love to help as much as they can.
- They are an important source of family support, a huge part of the village that helps to raise a child.
- They transfer value to the young generation - hard work, patience, love, and sacrifice. Children pick these up from watching them, being taught with stories and personal accounts of their own lives.
- They pass on family tradition and history which to a large extent gives children stability and a sense of belonging.
- Grandmothers come in handy when new babies are born into the family. They offer after-birth care, support and advice to new mothers. They also take on the bulk of the chores until the new mom is strong enough to assume her responsibilities.
The Bible says in Proverbs 17:6, 'Children's children are the crown of old men...' and also in Proverbs 13:22, 'A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children...' Little wonder why grandparents have a pivotal role to play in the lives of their grandchildren and other young people too.
It will be wise of parents to encourage a relationship between their children and their parents. Family is so important and children need a positive influence in their lives.
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