What's the best and worst thing about having grandchildren?

We love our grandchildren, just like all other grandparents. the good part is you can love them and give them back to their parents. the bad part is raising your grandchildren, because their parents divorced and the grandchildren were kicked aside and mostly forgotten. its really not a bad time, but being a parent a second time around, can be frustrating to the grandparents. but, somehow, we all make it through two different generations.

So far, I’m a grandparent newbie (he’s a year old today!) and since they’ve been living in a foreign country, I haven’t had that many opportunities for either the ups or the downs. I would think the hardest part is that the decisions and the choices are not yours to make and you have to keep your mouth shut, but the flipside is that the responsibility is not yours either

Best part: Grandma can enjoy them without feeling so responsible for their care. She can do the “fun” things. She can express unbounded approval and appreciation for them and let someone else do the “dirty work”.

Once my then five-year-old grandaughter, who was cuddled up in my arms, said to me, “Grandma, do you want to hear a funny joke?” Of course…. “Yes, please tell me a funny joke.” She said… “Yesterday my mommy told me that she loves me all the way up to heaven. Do you know what I told her? I said.. I love you all the way to Grandma’s house… you can’t beat that!”

Worst part: Same as the best… you don’t have rresponsibility for their care. So… when you aren’t pleased with how that’s being done, you can’t change it. When another grandaughter called me to tell me that “there is no food in the house, and I am so hungry”, that was tough. I knew it was true, because “mom” isn’t too interested in things like that.

The best thing is have them over to play with.

The worst thing is when you don’t approve of the way they are being raised.

It’s great to see the family expand and to be able to enjoy them. Mine live so far away I don’t have anything negative to say about grandparenthood.

The great part is seeing yourself in them, their mannerisms, facial expressions and the reciprocal love.
The worst part would be if you saw your grandchildren being abused, and feeling helpless to do anything about it.

I like this quote from Sam Levenson: The reason grandparents and grandchildren get along so well is that they have a common enemy.

@filmfann I love that answer

I think the hardest part of being a grandparent would be sending them back home.

the best thing is that you can see the future in the eyes and actions of those grandchildren
while the worst thing is that you will never understand them

The worst thing was that he was in Paris: the bet thing is that <<he is now just two hours away!