how involved were your grandparents in your life?

[Anonymous]

My maternal grandparents lived in an adjacent neighborhood, I would walk there all the time. My parents split up when I was 7 and brother was 1, so they practically raised us since my mom had to return to work. I have nothing but fond fond memories, I loved them more than anything - to this day, I cry when I think about my grandfather (think Archie Bunker but gentler) who died in 89. If they hadn't been involved in our lives, I don't think our childhood would have been pleasant, my mother is a whacko.

My paternal grandparents were not so involved. I hated going to her house (he died in the 70s) because her house was filthy, but my mother would drop us off so she could babysit - I would beg my mom to take us to her parents.

Our parents aren't in the area. My son is missing out on something great, but the grandparents he has, he wouldn't have the same wonderful relationship that I had.

[Anonymous]

PP here. I should add that my miserable MIL has been glad to watch her DDs kids, even for weeks at a time. So the lame excuse that "she raised her kids" (she practically didn't even do that) does not hold water. We know that she sees the other grandkids all the time and has babysat them a ton over the years. Funny thing is, MIL thinks we don't know. SUrprise! We know how miserable you are! So does everyone else!

[Anonymous]

I saw my grandparents on weekends, as they lived between 1-2 hours away by car. I think they helped a little with sitting when I was a baby, but they weren't right around the corner or anything. They came for really big occasions like parties and graduations.

My mom and dad made the best of it. I still felt close to my grandparents. We sometimes had family vacations to the beach with my further set of grandparents (who lived here in silver spring - I grew up 2 hours north)

My daughter has a good relationship with her grandparents. Both sets live pretty far away right now. My mom and dad drive up every 4-6 weeks for a long weekend. They are super involved and practically push us out the door to go out for a date (we don't really go otherwise). My husband's parents live halfway across the country and don't get as much time - we see them 2X/year for about a week each time. They are a bit more standoffish, which is good and bad. Since they have my niece and nephew living in their house (LOOONG story), they try really hard to let the parents do the care/parenting when they are with grandkids as they have had to draw clear boundries with my brother-in-law.

We are planning to move closer to everyone within the next year. Our plan is for my parents to participate in caregiving at least PT in the afternoons for our current child and hopefully we will add a baby and ask them to help for a couple years a couple days a week since we both need to work. His parents will get to spend more time with our daughter since we will be about an hour drive away rather than a plane ride cross country.

[Anonymous]

My grandparents lived in a different country, so I had no interaction with them at all really. I think I visited my grandmothers once (maybe twice) ever.

[Anonymous]

We were never left alone with our grandparents. We would visit them and they would visit us, but it was made clear that Grandpa did not like children and we were to play in the basement (to the old man's credit, he did furnish the basement with cool stuff to play with). The other set, I may have met once my entire life.

It would be nice to have relatives that lived close that could help out. But its just a dream. Actually, once a month pick-up sounds like a dream to me.

[Anonymous]

My father's parents took care of me frequently. I loved going for sleepovers at their house, and went once a month or so. They would come and visit me another weekend per month (they lived about 45 minutes away). They would always send birthday cards, call, etc.
My mom's parents were nice, and would pick me up from school etc. in a pinch, but they had a ton of other grandkids, so I got less time and attention from them.