What do you love about being a gran?

What do I like about being a gran? - well, not a lot at the moment! It's 10pm.

SIL abroad, so DD has arrived to stay with 2 boys (3yrs and 4 months).

They have arrived with a tummy bug.

DD is throwing up like a good'un - last seen lying on toilet floor.

Baby lying in our bed - let's hope DD will be well enough to feed him when needed.

3 year old has just thrown up all through the bed he was sharing with DD - everything is covered - quilt, covers, pillows. electric blanket - no stone left unturned.

I have just spent half an hour trying to dry his noo-noo-bear with a hair-dryer, as we had to wash the sick off it.

Washing machine in overdrive.

Aged grandparents knackered and hoping OH does not get it, because of his PD meds. which will be thrown into chaos if he is sick

Off to bed now.

Family life eh!?

Watching my 7 year old GD on stage for the first time and singing her solo as Tiny Tm in Scrooge, my 5 year old GD saying "When you're really old - but not dead, you'll be my great, great grandma" (and other wonderful statements). Hearing my 2 year old GD and GS giggling as they hide behind the curtains and seeing the smiles of my 31/2 month GS, knowing he almost didn't survive at birth. I love all this and more, I feel so blessed and just wish my husband was here to share it all

Love absolutely everything about it, but I have to say, my own children have really surprised me and made me proud in that they are such wonderful parents. I thought they'd be good but they have exceeded any expectations. (And that goes for the lovely ones they have married too!)

However, nothing like a pair of little arms round your neck, and "I love you Nannie." [sniff]

gulligranny - you're obviously much loved by them all. It just about takes your breath away doesn't it, the love that you can feel for these little ones? Here's a lovely bunch of to add to your joy!

The thing I love best is that four small people know me as "Grandma". My first marriage was childless but my second, 3 years ago when I was 63, has brought me not only 2 delightful (grown-up) step-children and their partners, but also four beautiful grandchildren. I have known them all since they were born - they are Henry (5) his sister Mary (3) and their cousins Megan (4) and Lucy (18 months). I couldn't love them more if they were physically mine; their trust in me as one of "their" adults humbles and awes me.

Oooh, I've gone all gooey and teary - apologies!

Love everything about her but most of all I enjoy her hearty chuckle, she is just discovering humour. However today it is saying goodbye until next week - I am exhausted.

oh I also forgot to say how much I'm looking forward to the great grands..lol

Having my eldest grandchildren all grown up and making their different ways in the world ring me up just to say 'how you doing Nan?' or to ask some advice about one thing or another and to know that they are growing into responsible and kind adults . Its nice knowing I can slip the reins and they will all take care of 'family' together.

Totally agree with all of the above comments, have only just found gransnet but I am hooked. My lovely 2 grown up kids have presented myself and GH with 5 babies in 5 years, quite an eye-opener, but we have survived and loving every minute. We are very fortunate that they all live locally so we see them several times a week, sometimes all at once which makes for some interesting mealtimes!! I consider myself very very lucky!!

I love all of the above. When they're little it the cuddles and cuteness and when they're older it's the wonderful return to childhood - just spent the afternoon chewing bubble-gum and seeing who could blow the biggest bubble

I love the utter trust they have in me,I only hope I never let them down! Ilove watching them getting hysterical with laughter long after the joke has worn off for the adults. They are scrummy! I confess I also love it when they have been here for a while, as in this week, and have gone home and I sit down in the evening to a drink with DH,with no noises off or disturbances!

Seeing my Grandson smile and laugh and holding his arms out to be picked up, he is 18 months old and has just started saying yes and shaking his head when he doesn't want to do something! He is so gorgeous I want to eat him! Also when I say we are going out and he goes to get his shoes and mine

I love everything but enjoy handing them back to their parents at the end of the day. My youngest granddaughter says she wants to stay at our house for ever and ever. The 2 in Switzerland, I love seeing them and doing things with them but miss them so much when we are not with them. My 10 year old stepgrandson told me that he liked me the first time he met me. He was 5 at the time.

What do I like about being a gran ? EVERYTHING ! Even the exhaustion after a long day with them .They are a never ending sourceof wonder to me , and I love them all to bits .

As lots of you have said, seeing two of our daughters being really good mums and our son being a great father to two boys who had had a rubbish one. I fully expect youngest daughter (who is 26 weeks pregnant after 3 early miscarriages) to be a good Mum too (fingers crossed!)

On a slightly different note - my mum always said that you could tell if you had been a good Mum if your children were good parents! Not sure that's true because I don't think she was a particularly good Mum but it's obviously true for my children!!

Ahh so looking forward to doing all these things with my little grandson. I've only been a Gran for about 14 hours, so its all new to me.

Skype.............seeing my son with both kids on his knees, arms tucked around them, teaching them to blow kisses, and knowing he makes a fine father.

It is lovely to be in the UK and to spend a precious half-term week with them. I bought them a lovely illustrated version of Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats and they have been chanting bits of Skimbleshanks this afternoon. I had to explain about hunt the thimble, guards, porters and stationmasters!

My youngest GD is just two and she is so polite, if she needs to get past someone she says " 'scuse me " and if you take a biscuit from her and thank her she says " your welcome " It makes my day just to hear her chatter

I love that our daughter has trusted us completely with her son and that she is willing for us to co-parent in lots of ways. Like Bagitha I am enjoying watching my daughter grow up to be a loving mother, in very difficult circumstances.

I love that we have unlimited access to our grandson and are such a significant part of his life.

I love his enthusiasm and his strong will and that he adores reading story books with Granny.

I love handing him back to his mum when I'm exhausted after caring for him for a few days.

Our only Grandchild lives in Australia. She is almost 2 years old and we speak to her every week on Skype. We often get a text saying Matilda is shouting for her Granny or Grumps because our son has been on the computer and I'm sure she thinks we live in there. We think technology is so wonderful - when we next arrive in Oz, Matilda will know who we are.

Being told by my 3.5 year-old g/d that she misses me when I am in France......bless her. Being asked by my 2.5 year-old last night, "where the moon gone Grandma?" And being trusted to come up with the right answer
But I agree with Baggy I just love seeing how good a mother my daughter is and she is a single parent................also my d-i-l who has recently become main carer for g/d. These girls will make wonderful granny's

Seeing how good a mother my daughter is.

Got to be the hugs for me, can't get enough of them

Cuddles - baby smiles - the funny things they say - their trusting little hands in yours - the cards and pictures with 'I love you Granny' in wobbly writing ....