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Grandparenting

Faux pas at toddler group

(33 Posts)
TinyTwo Thu 28-Apr-16 17:07:56

I've recently started looking after my youngest grandchild and decided to see what activities were on nearby that he might like. I've taken him to a few toddler groups and things in the local area and although everyone smiles and is polite there's definitely a distance between me and the 'mums'. Anyway, I finally went to a library singsong thing today and got chatting to a lovely other grandmother and her charming little grandson. We were getting on really well. Until I asked how many days a week she looked after her grandson and she looked at me with horror and spat out 'I'm his MOTHER'. I quickly left. blush shock Whoops...

Lynnabelle Sat 30-Apr-16 20:42:48

i noticed a couple on the school run whom I thought were grandparents but overheard their little girl calling them mum and dad, he is in his 60s I would estimate and she is in her 50s , so a very late baby.
My eldest grandson's best friend at school has a nephew one year younger than he is, so his mum also picks her grandson up from school.
I have been mistaken for mum a couple of times, which I find quite flattering as I am 63.

GrandmaKT Sun 01-May-16 00:11:43

At the other end of the scale...A Norwegian student teacher came on an exchange visit to the school where my sister was working. After the first week the student remarked on what close families we have in Britain and how nice it was to see older brothers and sisters bringing their siblings to school. My sister had to dis-illusion her by explaining that these were in fact the parents!

Leah50 Sun 01-May-16 16:38:37

I'm 65 and do the nursery/ school walk for my grandkids 2 days a week. I thought I was on the same wavelength as a young mum I often chat to on the walk to
school. She's just happily told me her Mum was at school with my 35 year old daughter... to her I'm a greatgran!

aprilgrace Mon 02-May-16 08:23:05

I take my granddaughter to a Rhythm Time class which she absolutely LOVES. I've met one or two other grandmas ( and mums) that way. As far as I know it's a national group so there may be one not too far from you.

Falconbird Mon 02-May-16 09:00:33

I used to take my grandson to Music with Mummy but in my case it was Music with Nan.

I had to get down on the floor, lift him up etc., and it was exhausting.

The other mums were very unfriendly and the one other gran who came with her daughter said she couldn't do what I was doing.

I'm very careful about is it a mum/or a gran. Women are having babies so much later now it's hard to tell.

Alea Mon 02-May-16 09:22:27

You say that, but a friend of mine once drove a slightly younger friend to hospital when she started to go into labour while her husband was summoned from work. At the time my friend was perhaps in her early/mid forties and the mum-to -be certainly over 30.
"Ooh, is this Grandma?" Cooed the nurse admitting her. I think my friend forced herself to be very restrained in her reply !!

Cath9 Mon 02-May-16 11:40:12

I was in a similar situation Alea, but that was many years ago.

I was taking our youngest son to his play school, where I got to know a lady who came from the same region in the UK, where I was brought up. So I knew her children but had never met her husband.
When going to collect my son I noticed her older child having his coat being put on by a man, who I thought looked the age to be the child's grandfather. So I stupidly remarked,
'Are you his grandfather?'
He turned his head with a smile and replied,
'No, I'm his father!'
Of course, all the apologies had to come out and we all did get on well.