11. Take important milestones away from parents.
Taking a kid to the movies for the first time, getting the kid’s ears pierced, or planning a trip to Disneyland may seem like great offers on the part of grandparents, but doing any of these things can earn grandparents the ire of a kid’s parents. Even if they seem minor things, those milestones can be a big deal for parents, and understandably cause some friction when grandparents get to experience them first.
12. Guilt trip parents.
Including grandparents in their grandchild’s life can be a wonderful thing. What’s not so wonderful, however, is those guilt trips parents endure every time their kids’ grandparents aren’t invited to participate in a family activity. If you’re thinking of using the phrase, “You know, we won’t be around forever” to get yourself invited on a family vacation, it’s time to seriously reassess. Emotional blackmail is just that, blackmail.
