1. Give kids unlimited treats
For many kids grandparents are literally a one stop shop for all things that are sugary, fried, or otherwise terrible for our health. Much to many parents’ dismay, grandparents are actually a never ending river of treats, despite everyone else’s best efforts to get them to understand that no pediatrician in the world has ever recommended a daily dose of ice cream.
“Once a parent becomes a grandparent, their role changes. They are no longer in the ‘parenting’ role but more of a role of fun and cuddles with less expectations. Grandparenting is not about how many times you can tell Johnny to eat his broccoli for nutritional purposes, but rather letting Johnny have fun picking out any candy he wants at the store and letting him eat it before dinner,” says Dr. Kulaga.
2. Act offended when they’re not invited into the delivery room.
Having a baby is a major medical event. And even when it’s a relatively easy process, it can still be a pretty private thing, and one that’s certainly not made easier by the grandparents to be demanding to have a front row seat.
“Often grandparents want to see the child they raised in the moment of one of the biggest life changing experiences of their lives. They may feel as if the new child is a part of them, too, and they want to be there to experience this moment. Although the grandparents’ intentions are often meant very well in a situation like this, if the couple having the baby want their privacy, it is a good initial boundary for the parents to set with the grandparents,” says Dr. Kulaga. “There will be future experiences and situations that will be private between the new family, and grandparents do have to respect that.”
