Ten things we should tell our granddaughters

Penstemmon - a brilliant list, practically identical to what I would suggest, especially 'do as you would be done by'. I would add just two more - 'to thine own self be true' - if you lie to yourself you can't begin to solve a problem or situation. And the other? 'Look after your neck!' Never to soon to start with the moisturiser! I have five granddaughters from 13 to 21 and, oh, what a joy they are .......

Bit slow, me, so only just twigged that Melissa is Tony Benn's daughter. Have got his book 'Letters to my Grandchildren' which I bought for them and which he signed. I do hope they read and learn from it one day.

I tell my DGDs

The world is theirs and they can do anything they want to if they really want to,

That they should do as they would be done by

If you cannot say anything nice say nothing at all

Do not be greedy

Have lots of fun

Work hard because nothing is free

Value those friends who care about you and don't trust those who just want you for what they can gain from you.

Say no if you feel uncomfortable doing something

You are beautiful

I love you loads

Hmmm...... I'm not sure we did do it all and see it all in the 60s, NannaAnna.
Some things never change, but many things are different, sexting for example, and the pressure that young people appear to suffer through social media. Or the financial pressure if they go to university, come out in debt and then can't find a job. That was completely unknown to us.
I don't think one generation can completely understand the zeitgeist of another.

So far I have 2 tiny grand-daughters.
Mine will be words of support rather than advise, and the same ones I gave to my own 3 daughters:
Do not think there is anything that could possibly happen to you that you cannot come to me about. Know that as a child of the 60s I saw it all and did it all, so nothing will shock me.
Experience as a mother, however, taught me that sometimes your children will not come to you because they love you and don't want to hurt you, so I will add:
If it's something bad, trust me to not be hurt or upset, because what's done is done, and my only thoughts will be to help you and support you through whatever has happened.

Other than that, we can only enable our grand-children to be confident, self-assured individuals by loving them and showing them through our actions and words that they are cherished and respected as unique individuals.

I'd not sure I'd want to tell my (non existent ) granddaughter anything !
I'd concentrate on just loving the child unconditionally. That would be a gift beyond jewels.
My friends who are already grandparents tell me that it's easier to love a grandchild unconditionally than it was with your children. . .

I do however fully support the "Look after your knees" advice, and would also add 'teeth' as well

That narcissist quote is very negative and depressing.

The World isn't always fair. People with bad attitude and poor judgement often fair better than those with loyalty and integrity.

A narcissist is the only person that believes they have good friends.

Opinions are like Assholes, everybody has one.

Material things don't matter. Cherish your family and friends.

Or so my gran said

You'll regret it if you don't wear a proper pair of (boned) corsets my girl!

My gran used to say to me ''Look after your knees and don't use a big floor cloth ,it makes your hands big'' She was a housekeeper and also did cleaning to pay for my mum to go to school.

And one thing we should tell ourselves;

remember how important it is to be someone who can be there to listen to them. Sometimes advice does not need to be given, rather a non-judgemental ear and a few questioning looks while they talk and work things out for themselves perhaps.

If all your friends and relations think you are with the wrong person, they are probably right.

With you on the last one and feet.

Don't say yes to a proposal of marriage before you have met his parents.
Look after your teeth.

For a loving partnership/marriage, watch how the other person treats family, friends; or if they even have any! Also watch how they treat people less 'important' than themselves, co-workers and animals. Do
they demean others to make themselves feel better - it's a common
trait of bullies. I'm sure your own grandchildren model the adage of
treating others as you wish to be treated yourself.

My advice to my two little granddaughters is how to empathise with others even the animals in their care.
For example when they are angry with others I suggest they might like to imagine what it feels like to be the other end of their anger. Also when they are upset with each other I ask them to stop and go away for a few minutes rather than fighting, think about what they want each other to know.
With animals I give the animal a voice and tell my little granddaughters how scared they are when she shouts at them. We talk about how an animal in our care is completely dependent upon us and cannot find food themselves or water and must be regularly cared for as they are the carer of this particular pet etc.

Take more notice of how people behave and what they do than any advice they offer.

Be kind to people - there is nothing more important in this world whether for boy or girl.

Love the way you look.

I have so much to pass on but will put it in a sentence.
Nothing stays the same forever.

BAnanas, never knew any of my grandparents, so could not ask them anything, but the more I research into my grandparents' grandparents, the more I admire them, particularly the women who held the families together, despite having 8 or 9 living children. What I have also found out is that, if a father died, the children were passed around, went to live with an aunt or uncle or older cousin.
It doesn't seem to happen so much now, or does it?

Oh god where to start, my granddaughter is only 3 and a half, but if she were a whole lot older, here are a few things I would want to bring up.

Don't let on line pornography warp your self esteem, don't be persuaded to do anything against your better judgement and doesn't feel is right for you. Be your own person and stand up for what you think and feel, peer pressure won't matter when you are really grown up.

The best part of the day is often the early part, try not to sleep through it, although inevitably you will when you are late teens, try not to do it for too long.

Acquaint yourself with an atlas, on line or otherwise, it's good to know where other countries are located and a bit about them.

Accoutrements aren't important they are only stuff. yeah even handbags, sometimes it's just the longing, once you get that "must have" it can cease to matter.

Don't assume your grandparents have never done anything with their lives, I'm speaking with my genealogist's hat on here,I wish I'd asked mine more, ask them about their early life and what they remembered about their own grandparents. Remember both sides of the family went into contributing to some of your traits.

Try not to ignore bank statements like I did in my youth, being an ostrich doesn't help when you have failed to rein in your spending.

Try and respect other people's opinions if they are different from yours and try to find out why they hold them.

Don't make snap judgements about people until you get to know them properly, we are all wrong sometimes.

Be kind to animals.

Don't over pluck your eyebrows in case you can't put them back. You can't have threaded what you don't have!