by Sam E. Jones

Created on: May 28, 2010   Last Updated: May 29, 2010

The beautiful thing about being a grandparent versus a parent is you get all the benefits without all the hassles. For example, you get to share in the joys of a baby’s smile, the first steps, and their wonderment at all the new things in their world; but you don’t have to change diapers, stay up all night with them or deal with colds and fevers.

Grandparents get to choose how involved they will be in a grandchild’s life. They can visit when they want and leave when they want. If they grandchild is happy, grandparents can choose to stick around and enjoy every minute of it, whereas if the grandchild is grumpy or crying, grandparents can choose to pick up and leave.

These are the prerogatives of being a grandparent, because grandparents have earned the right; they have put in the time raising their own kids. Now that their kids are having kids, it’s gravy time for grandparents. Not only do they get to choose when to visit or not, but they get to dispense advice on virtually any topic due to their vast years of experience.

In addition, grandparents get to be the good guys. They don’t ever have to punish, so the grandkids always think of them as benevolent saints. And if they want to, grandparents can take their grandkid's side when the grandkids have arguments with the parents.

And this becomes even more apparent as the grandkids grow older; as they progress through their teen years and head to college or a life out there on their own. Grandparents can provide advice or simply serve as a bystander, again the choice is theirs. Or they can provide financial or moral support, again the choice is theirs.

As if that weren’t enough, grandparents can also provide or deny support for the parents of their grandkids, and use it to get what they want, which is usually the freedom to do whatever they want with their grandkids.

Yes, growing old does hold some rewards, and being a grandparent is surely one of them. Watching your children have children and then watching those babies grow. Being there for important events and feeling that bond of family. It’s all there for grandparents who are generally old enough and have seen enough to appreciate the miracle of life every time they see their grandchild smile, or grab their finger. Being a grandparent and having the prerogatives that go along with it, almost make up for the long hard road it took to get through raising their own kids.

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