This Sunday is Grandparents Day, and the Met Life Mature Market Institute recently conducted a nationwide survey of grandparents and found that grandparents today take an active and generous role in providing financial assistance. They also prefer to step in earlier with support rather than to try to provide a larger legacy later.
Typically, the total amount of this assistance is less than $5,000, and about 26 percent indicated that the money was to help with the cost of education, while about 40 percent said it was for general support.
Grandparents are trying to be especially helpful in these difficult economic times, even though it may have a negative impact on their own shrinking finances. Additionally, more and more grandparents are either helping to raise, or are completely responsible for the rearing of, their grandchildren.
There is a delightful new picture book, written from a child’s point of view, which centers around a nontraditional family of grandparents raising their grandchild. Called “Sometimes It’s Grandmas and Grandpas,” the book shares a child’s experience living with, and being cared for by, grandparents.
Written by Gayle Byrne with warm watercolor illustrations, it will be available next month. Reading a book like this together, is a great way to introduce children to other family structures.
Being a grandparent is not always easy and, as in all aspects of life, having a well-developed sense of humor smoothes the way. Here are a few endearing grandparent stories:
- My young grandson called the other day to wish me a happy birthday. He asked how old I was, and I told him, 72. My grandson thought a moment, and then he asked, “Did you start at 1?”
- When my grandson asked me how old I was, I teasingly said that I wasn’t sure. “Look in your underwear, Grandpa,” he advised. “Mine says 4 to 6.”
- A 6-year-old was asked where his grandma lived. “She lives at the airport,” he replied. “And when we want her, we just go and get her and then when we are done having her visit, we take her back to the airport.”
- A little girl told her grandfather that she was writing a story. Intrigued, he inquired what it was about. “I don’t know” she replied, “I can’t read yet.”
- A grandfather was delivering his children to their school when a fire truck zoomed past. Sitting in the front of the truck was a Dalmatian, and the children began to discuss the dog’s duties. “They use him to keep crowds back,” said one child. “He’s just for good luck,” said a second. A third child brought the argument to a close. “They use the dogs,” she said firmly, “to find the fire hydrants.”
- The teacher asked the class to make up a sentence about a fireman. One small boy wrote: “The fireman came down the ladder pregnant.” The teacher took the boy aside to correct him and gently asked, “Do you know what pregnant means?” “Sure,” said the boy confidently. “It means carrying a child.”
- I didn’t know if my granddaughter had learned all her colors yet and decided to test her. I would point out something in the garden and ask what color it was. She would tell me and was always correct. This continued for awhile until she finally headed toward the house and looking at me a bit impatiently remarked, “You know, Grandma, you really should try to figure some of these out for yourself.”
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