Reply to I think grandparents are out of touch now because a lot of us waited so long to have kids

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Reply to "I think grandparents are out of touch now because a lot of us waited so long to have kids"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I don't know...on the one hand, I don't think previous generations of grandparents were so much better.  The Silent Generation or the Greatest Generation weren't hands-on parents or grandparents even though they would've been on the young side. Same for the Boomers.  I think the difference stems more from the fact that modern parents are so much more involved in their kids lives than previous generations were.  Also, the fact that most families are independent from their family of origin probably contributes to grandparents being out of touch.

It obviously depends on the particular family dynamic and the person at issue as well. My 95 year old grandmother has a lot of old-fashioned ideas about things but is very practical, accepts that things have changed, and recognizes that kids are kids. She is as active and involved in all of her grandkids' and great-grandkids' lives as she can be.  Whereas my MIL was a young and healthy 60yo when her first grandchild was born (DH and I were late 30s). Yet spending time with her grandkids consists of turning the TV on for them while she sits next to them texting or playing on her phone. She never got on the floor and played with them when they were younger.  She just doesn't know how to interact with kids. [/quote]

I agree with this. Previous generations were not necessarily super involved the way some are today. Class and distance relate too - my parents were still working when we had our first, now they are retired but taking care of their own adult relatives, it's not easy and they have to go out of their way to see us. But they try,  because as young boomers they have this idea of involved grandparenthood that they didn't grow up with.

I do think age is a bit related, but more to do with literal lifespan and energy levels than being "out of touch." My MIL and FIL were very involved with my SIL's kids, who range from 26 to 14 now. Sadly, MIL died this fall, and FIL is now over 80 and slowing down a lot. My kids are 2 and 6 and they will definitely have a different experience due to the huge age gap between DH and SIL, and the fact that she had her first at 22 while he waited until 32. [/quote]

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