The importance of grandparents - we could have told them this!

My maternal GP’s died when I was very young, I have a vague recollection of GF. Paternal GF died young leaving my GM with young C, my F was the eldest and had a tough upbringing.
My GM lived with her youngest D and mostly brought up her children so they were the favourite GC.
I didn’t really get a look in after my F died when I was 11.
So no attachment or affection to/ from them.
I have had a lot of input in my own GC’s lives and two of them, not siblings, live with me.

My grandchildren are keeping me alive … so the government has to keep paying my somewhat meagre State pension as compared to other European countries plus again NHS ….

The government is just grateful for all the unpaid child care from grandparents now.
Cynical moi ?

😫😩 all four of my grandparents died before I was born. No hope for me then.

I was very very close to my maternal grandparents although my paternal grandparents live in the same town I saw them once a week for a ‘formal’ visit.i think the difference was my maternal grandparents were younger than the paternal ones my paternal grandma was house bound and the maternal grandparents literally had me as their only grandchild my paternal grandparents had six or seven other grandkids
When it came to me, my husband ‘disappeared’ and left me with three children so I went home to be near mum and dad to help me , although I kept a healthy relationship with the paternal grandparents, again they had a very, very big family of loads of grandkids.
It’s often not intentional

I totally adored my Grandparents, especially my Mums parents heartbroken when my lovely Nan passed away. My Dad's parents, a different storey, his Dad we all loved, he was fabulous fun but my Dad's mum, what a cold fish. I was her grandchild no 13, she never had much time for us, especially the younger girls. She even told my Mum when my sister was born, if she had, had a Boy she would have given her a bigger gift for the baby. Needless to say, my Mum always referred to her, in derogatory terms!

I suspect that the reason for "the grandparent effect being strongest for the mother's mother" is because the father's mother often doesn't get a look in.

My 5 year old grandson and I were having a very self congratulatory moment on Friday. He told me of his friend from school whose grandmother had cancer. So what happened to her, I asked… she died before he was born. Bit of a sobering moment.
We then realised how very fortunate we were.

Totally agree

I can remember spending time with both grans and I was fortunate to have two great grandmas, one of which taught me to play the piano.

I have very fond memories of time spent all g with the things they taught me.