Are those grandparents who are worried about being "too far away" from grandchildren unaware of airplanes?

[Anonymous]

Seriously, you can get on a plane and be there for any signficant events your family wants you there for and you won't haunt them when they don't want you...

[Anonymous]

Airplane by definition means far away.

[Anonymous]

Not everyone can afford to fly, OP.

[Anonymous]

OP where do you live and where do the grandparents live?

[Anonymous]

We are foreigners and are part of the international community in DC, who usually has grandparents living abroad in people's home countries.

If there's enough money and health, distance is not a problem. When one or both are missing, then distance becomes a problem. And when it comes to eldercare at a distance when all able-bodied younger relatives are far away - there is a HUGE problem.

So please have a little more humility and respect, OP, for adverse situations in life.

[Anonymous]

As grandparents get older they also have a lot more health issues and flying and travel in general, isn’t quite as simple as it seems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP where do you live and where do the grandparents live?

I grew up outside of NYC and my grandparents were in Wisconsin. I saw them all the time—one or two trips out there a year, one or two trips out to see us a year, occasional opportunities to see them somewhere inbetween. It's not hard if you care... they were there when it mattered and I never felt less loved—but I sure think of my moments with them as more special than my wife who grew up with her grandparents three houses away and subsequently knew all the horrible details of her grandmother's alcoholism and her grandfather's remarriage to a gold-digger with a sextoy fetish.

Distance makes the heart grow fond... I'd never live near my grandkids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As grandparents get older they also have a lot more health issues and flying and travel in general, isn’t quite as simple as it seems.

I did have grandparents myself, I'm aware that at some point you visit them more than they visit you.

[Anonymous]

It sounds like what they're wanting is not a significant-events-only relationship, but instead smaller amounts of contact more frequently like would be possible if you lived nearby.

And yes, they know, even if you have your head in the sand about it, that air travel only gets harder as people age.

[Anonymous]

Are they able to fly whenever it suits them?

I'm sure they are aware of airplanes. Your thread title says a lot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are they able to fly whenever it suits them?

I'm sure they are aware of airplanes. Your thread title says a lot.

What do you think it says?

Of course they can fly when they want—it's about priorities, but why couldn't they? And family CAN visit them!

[Anonymous]

I’d like to be at insignificant events too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP where do you live and where do the grandparents live?

I grew up outside of NYC and my grandparents were in Wisconsin. I saw them all the time—one or two trips out there a year, one or two trips out to see us a year, occasional opportunities to see them somewhere inbetween. It's not hard if you care... they were there when it mattered and I never felt less loved—but I sure think of my moments with them as more special than my wife who grew up with her grandparents three houses away and subsequently knew all the horrible details of her grandmother's alcoholism and her grandfather's remarriage to a gold-digger with a sextoy fetish.

Distance makes the heart grow fond... I'd never live near my grandkids.

You are so tone-deaf and ignorant. Just because of two anecdotes, you think you know. What hubris.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d like to be at insignificant events too.

Why? Let them live their own lives!

Helicopter grandparents for crying out loud!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP where do you live and where do the grandparents live?

I grew up outside of NYC and my grandparents were in Wisconsin. I saw them all the time—one or two trips out there a year, one or two trips out to see us a year, occasional opportunities to see them somewhere inbetween. It's not hard if you care... they were there when it mattered and I never felt less loved—but I sure think of my moments with them as more special than my wife who grew up with her grandparents three houses away and subsequently knew all the horrible details of her grandmother's alcoholism and her grandfather's remarriage to a gold-digger with a sextoy fetish.

Distance makes the heart grow fond... I'd never live near my grandkids.

You are so tone-deaf and ignorant. Just because of two anecdotes, you think you know. What hubris.

And you imagine that you're wanted where you're not. Stop smothering your family.