Are you a BAD Granny?.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Yes, love it.

Bad grannies in a good way AGAA4??

Having been on GN for 4 years I would say most of us are bad grannies but in a good way and our GCs love us for it.

biglouis

I am a perfect granny because I never had any children - by choice.

My paternal grandma (whom I never met) married twice. Firstly to a Catholic and then to someone high in the Orange Lodge. If you know anything about the relationship between these two groups in Liverpool you will understand that she was obviously a bit of a rebel! However I was brought up with little knowledge of "that side" of the family.

My maternal grandmother, whom I adored, was very much an Edwardian lady with strict ideas of how children should behave. As I grew older learned to appreciate her wisdom and ordered way of doing things.

I had the Orange Lodge and Methodism from my grandparents as well. My great-uncle broke the mould when he married an Italian Catholic and she was loved to bits.
My gran banned all betting and drinking and broke my grandfather's fife over his head when they married. She married during WW1 and found out that he had called his horse Annie after her because it bit. He was in the Horse Artillery.
I'm from the North West near the border. She was kind but strict in an Edwardian way. I've never been like her with my grandchildren. She really was the matriarch and I suppose today a bad strict gran.

I was a naughty granny. I didn’t return the grandchildren in the same state the arrived.

Am I a "bad granny"? Ooh, I do hope that I am...
.

Daddima

I sometimes think I must be a bad granny when I see grans asking how they should deal with grandchildren’s behaviour, eating/sleeping habits etc, or being ‘devastated’ if a child doesn’t continue to display enough affection. I am perfectly happy to let my grandchildren’s parents bring them up, with no input from me, and to let them take our relationship at their own pace. They have their lives and I have mine. It’s worked for me for twenty years.

I agree Daddima. I’ve brought my boys up from a young age to be independent, they do not live close by, and they parent their children as they see fit, without my input, and I see them when mutually convenient.
We have independent fulfilled lives, but love each other and would be there for each other if needed.

How intriguing. I know I want to be loved/accepted, but would never demand it. Definitely follow what DS and DiL do, but that's not hard, because its more or less what I did and I suppose its fortunate it feels right so there are never and issues around setting boundaries.

I think I'm a quiet gran not a bad one as simply don't have the energy to be exciting, but sitting down quite a bit, just "being available" , interested, brings rewarding cuddles when they want a snuggle or to talk about Something Important..

Well, this 'bad granny' is currently watching Kerrang TV and indulging my passion for bad boy rockers (preferably with a bit of black eyeliner!)

To start with I am not a nanny and never have been so I wouldn't know whether any I met were good or bad.

I’m glad there’s so many bad grannies on here. When I joined GN I definitely thought I wouldn’t fit in because I’m not at all the archetypal sort of gran, in fact very opposite in many respects.

I probably still don’t really fit in, but do enjoy, and find some posts informative and helpful, but not so keen on the childcare or “domestic stuff”.

I’m usually very indulgent, but very occasionally scary! The Gdcs don’t stay over very often but when they do, I never have any trouble getting them to bed.

Whereas dd and SiL almost always have, and always have had, tiresome playing up/stalling nearly every night.

So dd asked Gdd1 (then 6) ‘How come you’re so good at going to bed for Granny, but not for me and Daddy?’

Answer: ‘Because Granny spooks me when she gets cross.’ (!)

After dropping something etc. Granny has also been known to utter Bad Words, out of sheer habit (I’m afraid to say) while little ears are around.

I am a perfect granny because I never had any children - by choice.

My paternal grandma (whom I never met) married twice. Firstly to a Catholic and then to someone high in the Orange Lodge. If you know anything about the relationship between these two groups in Liverpool you will understand that she was obviously a bit of a rebel! However I was brought up with little knowledge of "that side" of the family.

My maternal grandmother, whom I adored, was very much an Edwardian lady with strict ideas of how children should behave. As I grew older learned to appreciate her wisdom and ordered way of doing things.

Oh definitely a member of the Bad Granny club! I always said that if I ever became a granny I'd dye my hair purple - and I did!
I'm no pushover though - my husband is definitely the 'good cop' and I'm 'bad cop' when it comes to discipline. I remember when my kids were young and both had several friends over and they were all out playing in the garden. They were getting a bit boisterous and loud and from the kitchen window I heard my daughter telling them "if you don't behave, my mummy will come out and shout at you - and she's really scary!"

Hetty58

and, I suppose, at times - I'm accidentally 'bad'. I got some disapproving and/or alarmed looks for teaching my grandson the song 'There was an old lady who swallowed a fly, I don't know why' etc.

Struggling to understand what's bad about that wonderful song, Hetty 🤷🏻‍♀️

We all are different, I’m just me but a nanny too. I don’t remember my grandmothers doing things with me, I just merged in when I went to what they were doing, but I loved them very much. I have been the hands on one and I know the other nanny who wasn’t hands on at all was loved just as much.

I once gave this card to my DS. Enclosed was a photo of his mother and his daughter in the same pose and similar attire.
He chuckled at the mischievous intent from a parent who had been quite firm with him!
Let’s just say I deliberately wear red boots and a purple coat when picking her up from school…

I'm am Nanna but a very Naughty Nanna.

and, I suppose, at times - I'm accidentally 'bad'. I got some disapproving and/or alarmed looks for teaching my grandson the song 'There was an old lady who swallowed a fly, I don't know why' etc.

I'm just myself, as I've always been - and I never gave too hoots about what other people thought. Why should I? My friend's mum is just hilarious. At 87, she swears like a trooper, laughs a lot - and behaves like a toddler. It's delightful to see someone enjoying life.

I am called naughty nanny because I tell my GC off if they are naughty and won’t let them get their own way. Someone has too their parents let the children rule them.

I sometimes think I must be a bad granny when I see grans asking how they should deal with grandchildren’s behaviour, eating/sleeping habits etc, or being ‘devastated’ if a child doesn’t continue to display enough affection. I am perfectly happy to let my grandchildren’s parents bring them up, with no input from me, and to let them take our relationship at their own pace. They have their lives and I have mine. It’s worked for me for twenty years.

I was given ‘The Good Granny Guide’ by Jane Fearnley-Whittingstall (Hugh’s mum), when my GS was born. He’s now nearly 18.

It was a good read, lots of useful tips.

I'm probably a MAD granny. My late husband and I have had a lot of fun with our grandsons (twins aged 10 now and big brother aged 16). Shelter building and forest crafts, games, hiking up iron age hill forts and seeing me dressed up performing in pantomime apart from other more traditional grandparent activities.
I took the twins out on a trip on the Severn Valley Railway during October half term. On the journey home, they both thanked me for a lovely day, which was sweet.
I told them I was making the most of any time we have together as I knew that in a few years time they probably wouldn't want to be with a boring old lady.
One of them looked me in the eye and said, "you're not boring nanny."
It made my day.