The Ultimate Gransnet Prize Draw

Grandparents are the saviours of parents who need a break, the partners in crime to little rascals who like to stomp in mud and the hero of the hour when knees get grazed or a head gets bumped. Grandparents seem to find chocolate behind ears and always have loose change for an ice cream in their pocket. Grandparents are incapable of showing any restraint in toy shops (despite mum and dads grumbling) and have a direct phone line to Santa Claus, the Easter bunny and the tooth fairy. Sometimes grandparents are not with us as long as we want them to be but I've heard word there is an enormous chocolate factory in the sky that they are over-seeing.

Gets
Real
And
Never
Discomcombobulates

Thats what makes a good Gran and gets them to use a dictionary maybe!

I wasn't ever a 'grand' till my grandchildren stopped calling me Nanny and started calling me Grandma this seems to happen as they are growing up around the 17 mark I've never really worked out why but they seem to love calling me Grandma when they are older for some strange reason..

You get to relive all lovely moments you had with your own children, but didnt appreciate fully because you were perhaps too rushed, too tired or you didnt quite realise how special they were!

My (2nd) husband has never known the joy of children, we now have our first grandson. He is constantly amazed at how much love and joy he gets from being a Grand parent and how much our Grandson loves being with him, in fact I sometimes feel I don't get a look in. It's truly Grand being a Grandparent for him.

Ooh, someone has an axe to grind me thinks. Love, appreciation and respect have to be earned, they are not a right of passage.

GRAND to be here - GRAND to be wanted - GRAND to know what to do - GRAND just to be a PARENT!

There's nothing so grand in my heart as my grandchildren.

Being patient, kind, a confident, loving, understanding, trustworthy, spoiling, saying yes, being silly

using experiences to create grand memories.

Quality time, being able to help guide them, fun days out and in, in fact everything I can do with the grandchildren is grand

There are many meanings to the word Grand but when it comes to grand children these words sum it up for me - rich, wonderful, pleasing and that is what my life became full of when my Grandaughter arrived to bring these gifts!!

Grand in Grandparent means always being ready at the end of the phone for emergencies as you love your grandchildren so.You are always there to give support in a crisis but are rewarded many times over especially at get-togethers like Christmas. Grandchildren are the most precious gift anyone can have.

I looked up a couple of definitions of GRAND

'Any kindly, sweet old woman who will happily boost your self-esteem and write you letters and love you. tends to know lots of neat old songs and obscure, off-colour jokes. generally much cooler and less scary than one's actual mother'

and

'magnificent and imposing in appearance, size, impressive, awe-inspiring, splendid, resplendent, superb, striking, monumental, majestic, glorious'.

I think I may fall into the first category Although there is always hope for the second

"Grand" describes the amazing,privileged position a Grandparent has to love and be loved by their wonderful Grandchildren. "Grand" describes the chief importance we hold in our Grandchildren's lives and they hold in our's. Being there for the good times and the not so good times together.

Being a GRANDparent for me means fun and laughter-being silly without fear of scorn, being able to provide that little extra in my grandkids lives without spoiling them.
Now that they are that bit older they delight in showing me the how, the where and the why. I can think of no better relationship than between grandparents and grandchildren it is so full of trust and love.

Giving the benefit of your wide experience of life.

Having the time to spend just enjoying being with my grandchildren and doing the ordinary things puts the "grand" in grandparenting- as well as knowing how happy it makes my children seeing us enjoying each other and appreciating the break!

What puts the GRAND in Grandparenting

Being the backbone of the economy by looking after their beautiful grandchildren whilst their own children go to work - (which they wouldn't be able to do without them.) The government should acknowledge all grandparents everywhere and how grand they are for the economy.

For me it's seeing my grandson, George's, beaming face as he walks up my drive.

Being able to share a lifetime of experiences with the next generation of your family

For us the Grand is in being able to be the Grandparents our children unfortunately never had. It is such fun.

GRAND MEANS BIG, HAVING A BIG HEART SO YOU SPOIL THE GRANDCHILDREN, GRAND MEANS HUGE, THOSE HUGS THAT YOU GIVE THEM, GRAND MEANS MASSIVE, THE LOVE THAT YOU HAVE FOR THEM. THATS WHY I THINK THE GRAND IN GRANDPARENT IS JUST THAT

LOVE!

Just being there for all of them