The Grandchildren: A Legacy Of Love Between Children And Parents

It is often said that only when the first grandchildren are born do people discover true love.  It is a bond that goes far beyond the blood bond, it is the union of two generations that will leave a permanent emotional imprint, because there is nothing more satisfying than “being a grandson”, and then, “being a grandfather”.

In turn, with the arrival of these new family members, the relationships between parents and children are reformulated: if before it was wonderful to be a mother, now the satisfaction is even greater, because you are the mother of a mother or the father of a father. . It is one more stage in our life cycle, thanks to which we can all enrich ourselves,  smooth out differences and intensify our bonds.

The arrival of the grandchildren and the creation of new bonds

Between each grandfather, parent and child, a generational plot is formed in which each one must define his or her position. Nowadays, we are all very clear that grandparents are essential for the well-being of their grandchildren and we often wonder if they too have a duty to educate them.

We know that within society we are all responsible for the education of the generations to come, starting with the parents, following with the school and with the media. Nonetheless, grandparents have already completed their work of “growth” with their children, and now, with their grandchildren, they deserve to take on a more relaxing role,  based on mutual attention and that indispensable emotional bond.

According to research undertaken by the University of Oxford, grandparents have a fundamental responsibility in the daily life of their grandchildren.

 Grandparents and their role in today’s society

Today, grandparents stand out as important figures in society:

• Nowadays life expectancy is higher and, in most cases, both parents of the children are working, so the care of the grandchildren is up to the grandparents.

• In turn, it has been shown that the more grandparents participate in the care of children, the stronger the psychic well-being of the latter.   

• Another aspect to take into consideration is that the figure of grandparents is indispensable in families with divorced or unemployed parents. The emotional and economic support that grandparents lend to their children has a positive effect on grandchildren. Grandparents become significant positive figures.

The importance of grandchildren in the life of grandparents

Thanks to their grandchildren, grandparents not only guarantee an offspring, but also reorganize their lives.

Aging should not only be marked by the material achievements and successes a person achieves during his life. The process of aging in wisdom corresponds to the understanding that the most important thing is the bonds created,  giving value to that emotional richness that will have to leave its mark and be replaced when they are gone.

The best legacy grandparents leave to their grandchildren is gratitude

Teaching children to be grateful for everything around them is one of the greatest legacies  grandparents can offer their grandchildren. A curious thing, which people of a certain age are accustomed to reproach, is that they give too many gifts to children, that they give them too much money and too many sweets on ordinary days.

Grandparents are wise and they know that the best inheritance they can offer to the new generations are signs, emotional imprints.

• Offering gratitude is a wonderful way to teach what other people’s gratitude is,  as it means allowing children to learn to recognize the value of things and see the world in a more respectful way.

• Gratitude is also allowing the world not to go so fast, understanding that everything has its time, its rhythm, its principles, that “I want this now” is not always possible or advisable.  

• Another essential aspect of being grateful is learning to value the really important things in life. If children understand this from an early age, we will help them grow up wisely and mature.