Grandparents Day - what's the best thing about being a grandparent?

I came downstairs yesterday and my 2 year old granddaughter jumped up and down excitedly and shouted " my nana, my nana". It brought a huge emotional lump to my throat lol.

Lovely comments. Especially liked the one from radical nan.

Tomorrow is our grandparents day, our little monkey is coming to visit with his dad, can't wait. Five days of chasing and cuddles!

I have just returned from a lovely Lunch with my DD, DiL & DGSs & friends for DD's Birthday. Love the unconditional cuddles from DGS1 who is 7. DGS2 is only 16 weeks but will already follow my voice.

The joy on DGS1's face when I go to visit especially if he doesn't know I'm going. Giving my love & time is special, I worked full-time when DD was growing up, she loved the time spent with her DGPs, I hope I'm giving the same to my DGSs

I hope all grandparents in the US have a lovely grandparents day!
However, I sincerely hope it does not take off in the UK. I just don't need another money making day. There is nothing better than a home made card and I can't wait for the day when I receive my first card from my GD. She is just 3 and a half and I love her sooo much!

Last week my goodbye from 15month old was a kiss on my nose

The best thing is still being here to watch them turn from adorable babies into lovely young people, quite happy to leave it at that no need for more cards etc.

My DGD's are the best- DGD No 1 is 5 and DGD No 2 will be 7 months old on Thursday. Best thing that ever happened to my DD who, frankly, was a total pain in the bum for 9 years (12 until 21 when she got pregnant with DGD No 1) . I love spending time with my DGDs though I don't spend as much time with them as I would like as I work full time. I get a card & a present from the DGDs on Mothers Day and wouldn't expect anything on Grandparents Day.

Grandparents day was first celebrated in the UK in 1990. I remember it well as it was my firstborn's birth year so my MIL's first year as a grandparent. The date - 22nd of September - was her birthday. Needless to say she made a very big deal of it announcing that "they had invented it specially for her!" We were left with no choice but to give her a grandparent's day card, although my brother told my mum that she needn't expect him to celebrate it and get her anything! Thankfully it only lasted a couple of years before being dropped. I guess many people shared my brother's sentiments and decided it was , as others have said, simply a ploy on behalf of the card manufacturers. We have mother's day and father's day and becoming a grandparent doesn't mean we stop being mothers and fathers so it seemed a bit unnecessary, and I was glad it was soon forgotten.

Agree with inishowen completely. I don't get to see my one GC often enough because of the distance - but it is so special when she phones and tells me about her day and I can keep up with how much she is learning about the world and her place in it.And I have cards and pictures she has drawn to look at too.
Sorry about your situation Marnie. Heartbreaking for you. Hope things improve

I had no idea it was Grandparents day, and I don't want to
draw my family's attention to it or they will feel obliged to buy yet more cards, flowers, etc.
I've loved being a grandparent, and a real favourite was taking them to the swing park. I must have spent hundreds of hours pushing them on the swings and hearing them shout "Higher, Nan", or "Push harder, Nan". And they all eenjoyed the fact that I like swings too and often used to have a little go, if there was no-one about.
My grandchildren are older now, the youngest is 15, so we no longer go to swing-parks. But for my 80th birthday at the end of this month I am being given a swinging garden chair so that I can carry on swinging into my 80's. It's great being a swinging Nan!
I like them being older, they turn into friends as well as grandchildren. It's not just me supporting them with their problems, they help support me with mine.,
Another thing is that as they grew older they sometimes felt they could confide things in me that they didn't want to tell their parents. Of course, if it was important, I had to urge them to tell their parents, but I felt privileged at being consulted on all sorts of personal problems and like to think that I have helped them at times... And I still know some stuff about them that their parents don't know!

Acting daft and loving their laughter. Taking me back to doing the same things with their parents, the happiest time of my life.

As for grandparents day, why do we need that? Are we no longer included in Mothers' Day and Fathers' Day?

As mine live in the US and OZ, it is hard enough trying to celebrating Mother's Day, Father's Day, birthdays, Christmas without the closeness of family, so I would be quite happy to not add another day to it all.
But maybe i am being selfish.

Oh to see my GC. Seen one three times and the baby once. Live fairly local but we are person a non gratis. Hate it but have learned to live with it. They don't even know who granny and grandad are. Sad oh how sad.

Sending them home when you've had enough

The feeling I get when I hear little hands banging on front door- the 3 smaller ones are too little to reach the doorbell yet.
Even when they have been staying for a couple of days ( or all 6 of them for 5 days once during last school holiday) & I am exhausted I still feel really sad when they go & they don't live far away so it won't be long before I see them again. Then you come indoors to find a picture left in kitchen for you saying ' love yoo veery mush Granma xxxxx' from next to youngest as a surprise!! Cue tears.

Love them all for their various qualities. The oldest grandson had a long chat this week about his first week at secondary school and I felt so pleased that he wanted to tell me about it. And then the youngest one - just turned three took my hand and led me out into the garden to show me a worm. Lovely!

It's really not another Americanism or invented by Hallmark.
In Japan 'Respect for the Aged day' is on September 18th this year.
My DIL is Japanese and we've learnt a lot about Japanese customs especially how well they treat their older family members.
Back to the thread, I enjoy talking to my young DGS via FaceTime and seeing what his current favourite toys are.

Reliving my children's childhood by seeing the similarities in their children; so much of it I had forgotten and some of it I missed because I was working so hard in order to keep a roof over our heads. My DGS is like my DS in that when he walks into the room with his big smile, it just brightens up my day.

Since I moved to Germany last September to be near my only son and his family, EVERY day is Granny's Day! And from tomorrow, when I move into my brand new granny flat, four days after the birth of my second granddaughter, it will be even more so

The grandchildren

Actually - and as my DW would say, unusual for me! - I quite like and agree with this idea.

The post by Grannyanna12345 set me thinking.

My GD (now at college!!) pinched my iPhone out of my pocket a year or two back, and wrote this in my 'Notes':

Hello grandad I love you xxxx

Oh yes crazygran. I agree.

Being woken up to her singing in the travel cot or (more likely) in my bed at silly oclock

Sleep overs , the two of them insist on sleeping
In my bed , needless to say I don't get much sleep!
And when they say I love you Grandma for no reason. I am so lucky !!!!!!!!!!

My grandchildren are always pleased to see me, love me, and make me feel like a celebrity. How lucky am I?