Did you parents loose interest in their grandchildren once they became tweens & teens

[Anonymous]

My parents used to obsessed about my kids and now that my kids are not as cute and cuddly and more independent, it feels like my parents have essentially dropped them. Meanwhile they are going to adventures and excisions with my preschool and early elementary aged nieces and nephews. My kids haven’t lost interest in hanging out with their grandparents and feel bad about this sudden change.

[Anonymous]

Mine lost interest a few weeks after they were born. Mine would be interested but grandparents have other favorites, which is fine.

[Anonymous]

Are your kids in any sports? My kids' grandparents love going to their sports activities and after school activities. In fact my parents' social schedules pretty much revolved around my kids' schedules until the virus hit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are your kids in any sports? My kids' grandparents love going to their sports activities and after school activities. In fact my parents' social schedules pretty much revolved around my kids' schedules until the virus hit.

Yes and both play instruments too so plenty of recitals to attend. When they visit now they just watch tv or look at their phones. They used to play games or go for walks to park. It’s not age related, they’re still doing this with other younger grandchildren.

[Anonymous]

Nope. I think they liked them better as they became capable of carrying on "real" conversations, and being actually helpful.

My ex-FIL couldn't stop raving about what a great time he had once washing and waxing a car with my son. Not because doing that is fun, but because my son actually made the job faster and easier, and he had interesting and funny and insightful things to say.

When my MIL was about to move, one of my DD's offered to go over and help her unpack and organize. DD organized all her books by category, then by color within category, and organized all her clothes in her closet by occasion, and suggested spots for all the paintings. She was so grateful to have all her help and had fun hearing about all the goings on in 7th grade drama.

[Anonymous]

Pretty much, yeah. I get it. Most days I lose interest in my moody, mouthy teen.

[Anonymous]

Nope. My dad is a doctor and my teen loves biology so they talk biology. My mom loves picking up our daughter and taking her to lunch or to the pool for the afternoon. They are the same with their other grandchildren. They really seem to enjoy the kids at every age.

[Anonymous]

Ours have not, but our kids are the only kids are each side, so no cuddly babies to take their place.

[Anonymous]

No. I have young children and my sister has a teenager. The grandparents are equally interested in all.

[Anonymous]

So yes, I have both situations. My own parents had much more difficulty interacting with the kids as they got older. They also had this problem with me when I grew to be a teen. I think overall they just like little kids because they think they are more impressionable.

My MIL favors our niece over our two kids openly. She brags about it to other people. She is so outward about her favoritism that we don't visit her much because my kids feel so hurt. DH says she used to do this with him and his brother when they were kids. I think it's just the way it is.

[Anonymous]

My mom does this and will go on and on to my tweens that she misses the days when they were little. I get what she’s saying it’s a cute stage, but once when my son was about 10 he asked “don’t you like is now?”

I honestly love my kids as they’ve gotten older. We can do more together and have some pretty great conversations. Guess it’s all how you look at it.

[Anonymous]

I guess it depends on the people but this is not my experience. my two siblings and I were the only grandkids form my dad's parents and they never lost interest, we just did different things. when we were little they took us to the beach and to trips abroad. when we were older they invited us for dinner and they also took the habit of stopping by our house on Saturday evening on their way home from church. we would have a nice 30-45 minute chat before their dinner and before we would go out with friends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I guess it depends on the people but this is not my experience. my two siblings and I were the only grandkids form my dad's parents and they never lost interest, we just did different things. when we were little they took us to the beach and to trips abroad. when we were older they invited us for dinner and they also took the habit of stopping by our house on Saturday evening on their way home from church. we would have a nice 30-45 minute chat before their dinner and before we would go out with friends.

forgot to add that my parents are still very interested in my kids (11 and 15) as are my inlaws who have older grandkids they are still close too. it is more the older grandkids who have less time for the grandparents, understandably

[Anonymous]

I’m the closest to my mom but the last to have kids. She doted in my nieces and nephews for years. She has not doted on mine at all.

[Anonymous]

My mom was only interested when they were babies.