Are your grandchildren interested in you as a person?

It seems to be a tradition in our family to have children very late.

I didn't know much about my grandparents and wouldn't have dared ask them things. My grandfathers were both long dead when I was born and my grandmothers were well over 80 by the time I was old enough to even think about talking to them.

My children had great respect for their grandfather (my father), and are very fond of my mother. Their paternal grandparents both died when they were all tiny, so they don't know much about them - come to think of it, nor do I.

My own grandchildren are far too young to consider me any more than a playmate so far, but I will do my best to cultivate a two-way relationship with them where possible.

Our 17 year old granddaughter seems interested in our lives. She loves nothing better than going through our old photos. She is gorgeous and clever and has lots of friends but she is very interested in her family and its history.

Of course not! Children are rarely ‘interested’ in such things. Indeed I wish I’d been more interested in my parents and grandparents backgrounds as I’ve missed s much family history and anecdotes.

It’s normally only as you get older that you become more curious.

GC are aware of the job I used to do but have not much concept of when things were invented. I told GD1 we did not have TV when I was a child and she asked me if I watched the programmes on the computer

My DGC (all under 10) become interested and sometimes shocked when I make a comment about my past for example when I told DGS I used to go rock climbing, or that I had to take my mother's place and do all the cooking, housework, washing, ironing as well as go to school when my mother was in hospital having one of my sisters. I was then aged 10! This was repeated twice in the next 6 years when my next brother and sister were born.

I used to be a peripatetic Special Needs teacher and my DGC now go to two of the schools I worked in. I actually trained many of the Teaching Assistants and they are continually amazed that they (and the teachers) know me and come for a chat when I pick the children up. My DGS's teacher now is the son of one of them and I've known about him since he was a little boy! When they have inter schools sporting events I also meet up with staff from other schools and my DGD once commented, 'Do you know all the teachers in (this town) Grandma?'

Mine are only 5, 5 and 3 . Certainty the older two are interested about “the olden day’s”. My DGD was horrified to hear about the kind of school dinners we had and that there was no choice. I explained rationing to her, and how we had very little in the way of biscuits and sweets. She seemed very upset about the hard life I had! Also that I had to be careful not to drop my doll because she’d probanly break. When I was allowed to join the library aged 7 I then had books, which was wonderful. She is fascinated about my childhood because it’s so different from hers. The DGS is less interested although he does wonder how I managed without CBeebies! Our first TV was when I was in my teens, and it only had BBC. (What would now be BBC1). I explained that my brother and I were glued to the wireless and never missed Childrens’ Hour. He said it must have been sad for me not to have his lovely colllection of dinosaurs. Oh and was I allowed an iPad to make up for not having a television?!

No, not at all. They aren't even interested in the genetic aspect of the relationship. Their loss.

No; I try to hang on to things that my grandchildren might find interesting (rag rug makers/flat irons/box cameras etc) but they're not interested. Then again, my children aren't interested in anything about my life either. But, I was the same when I was young.

I'll have to ask them, because I'm not sure, really. They've rarely had a chance to see me as a person in my own right.. hmmm

My GS now aged 9 is very interested in my life. He often asks me to tell him stories of when I was a child, but one night when I had read the bedtime story, kissed him night night and told him I love him, he said, Yes, grandma, but who loves you? My ex left before he was born and he just knows that I live alone now. He had clearly thought about that and it was worrying him that don't appear to have anyone close.

Now GS1 is 11 he finds me quite interesting because I know a lot about things he is interested in. He's doing WW2 at school so I've been sorting out various bits and pieces from his great grandparents' wartime experiences. It shows how we never talk to our families, I knew my FiL had been a POW but hadn't realised he'd been in prisons in Italy, Sebastapol, and Germany. No chance of finding out any details now!

Mine are all teenagers and no I don’t think they are very interested but mind you I ve just sat on the toilet seat talking to my 14 year old granddaughter while she washes her makeup brushes and get a lesson on what each is for while listening to rap music so the boot is definitely on the other foot and if i want a relationship I ve got to listen to them ??

My grandchildren are really too young to ask at the moment, although we do tell them about the jobs we did.

When I was a child, from 7 or 8 years old I loved listening to my own grandmother tell me stories of her childhood. She told me how her father was killed as he walked to work one morning, and how she found out; a little boy running up to her and saying 'Annie, your dada's dead,' and how she disappeared on the day of his funeral, and was found sitting on his grave, in the snow, crying, and without her coat on. The whole village was out looking for her.
She told me how her two younger brothers were killed in WW1 and how her own mother refused to go to Buckingham Palace to receive the Military Medal that was awarded to the younger one, saying 'If you can't give me my boy back, I don't want your medal!'
And she told me a lot more; I've never forgotten. I'm not sure I'll have such interesting stories to tell my own grandchildren, or such sad ones, or stories from which they can learn and gain so, so much.

I have 6 dgc and the eldest, and only girl, is 10 years. She loves to hear about our childhood, outside toilets, no lemonade in the house !! One packet of biscuits per week. Loves to talk about what a secretary did.... and what dgf did in the Royal Navy.

All of them are amazed that when I use the computer I can touch type....... Hey, quick, she's doing it again.... when I type text and look the other direction

My eight year old grandson is very aware of me as a person outside my role as his granny; he has accompanied me on visits in my work as a Chaplain, has met many of the students I teach English to and is aware that I also work with homeless people. His interest is sparked by engaging with the people I work with and out of that come questions about my various roles.
My own children have always been aware of the jobs their grandparents do and as adults they have very close relationships with them. My father-in-law often discusses his mental health work with my children and they often attend my (musician) mother-in-law's concerts.

My grandchildren are all too young at the moment.

I am with some help compiling a family history with photographs.
I also whilst clearing the loft found a tape (now on CD) with my grandfather telling the story of Dangerous Dan McGrew.
At the time we would have just rolled our eyes.
Now it just makes me cry.
My DGC can hear the voice of their great great grandfather.

‘Razed’ not raised!

kitty you have. Just reminded me that I have a book, which I loaned to my niece, all about the area I used to live in and its history. The whole lot was raised to the ground in the sixties and is now a lovely park, but when I showed some of the photographs to my then adult children they could scarcely believe what they were seeing when I pointed out where I was born and brought up. I will have to get it back and show it to GS. It may make him appreciate the comfort and relative affluence he takes for granted, but I doubt it.

My DGS the youngest and by far the most mischievous has just learned the "grandma?"....... "what?"....."stinks" routine.

He loves that I fall for it every time.

My 3 DGC are also fascinated by the old photos that we have and will spend hours going through them, spotting resemblances and admiring or laughing at the hairstyles and clothes. I am sure they have a genuine interest because they tell me all about their ancestors from their Dad's side of the family and other Granny is now fully conversant with our side's family history.

When they can tear themselves away from their Ipads we have long conversations about their friends and day to day happenings. I am bombard with questions that start with WHY? and in return am rewarded with what they have learned at school or online much of which is new to me.

My eldest grandsons and two of their partners show a lot of interest in what I did before I retired and what I did when I first left school.
Two of them asked my advice about properties they where considering renting and took my thoughts on board and considered them.
Tand how we entertained ourselveshey both asked if I thought going to Uni was worth it or to get out in the world and learn that way again they considered all options and made the right choice in the end.
The two youngest are showing more interest in the way schools etc have changed since I went and how we entertained ourselves without the internet and social media.

I consider myself to be very fortunate. Until recently we were a 5 generation family. My grandchildren were very fortunate to make regular visits to my own grandma and they were fascinated at how all the pieces fitted into the family jigsaw. The eldest 2 girls made a family tree from sheets of paper where they drew my grandma (they called her little tiny grandma) on one sheet of paper followed by my mum, then me, then daddy, then each of them. They love hearing stories about my memories of my grandparents and great grandparents, whom I can remember very well. They also love looking at old photographs (especially the ones from the war years and my grandad in uniform looking like a movie star) They tell me who looks like who and giggle at a particular favourite of my granddad wearing a dress when he was about 2 years old and my great grandma sitting in a beach deckchair in a place very familiar place to them wearing about 20 layers of clothes!

My DGDs spend most weekends at my house and we do talk a lot, commenting on music and fashion for instance, as well as about school. They also remember visiting me at work (in the hospital where they were born) when they were small. They are aware of things from when I was young and when their Dad (my son) was young.

No but we don't often see the older ones who are 5 & 7. I did tell the 7 year old that we used to have to get up and press buttons on the TV to change a channel and I am not sure he believed me!

Sometimes. Occasionally I like to relate an experience I've had with one that they're currently involved in - the similarities and the differences. Not sure though whether they take it on board or listen because they're polite!!