“Grandma’s Viral Revelation: The Untold Bias in Today’s Grandparenting Culture Shocks Internet!”
In today’s topsy-turvy world, where grandparenting seems to come with a new set of rules—or none at all if we’re getting candid—one has to really wonder: What's the deal with modern grandparents? Here’s a provocative question to kick things off: If grandparents from yesteryears were the ‘spoiling’ champs, then does their assumed ‘double standards’ simply mean they’ve upgraded to spoiling themselves instead?
The truth is, we’re seeing a grandparenting revolution, or so it seems from a recent discussion on Mumsnet that’s stirring the pot. Enter a world where Nana’s not always waiting with open arms and an antique candy jar. Today’s grandparents, as one netizen pointed out, aren’t cut from the same cloth as those before. Where the older generation once jumped on the ‘when grandkids’-bandwagon with vigor, these days, you might find them surprisingly… independent. Independent to a fault, if I may be so audacious.
It’s been said that being a grandparent is like playing all the fun bits of parenting without the paperwork and sleep deprivation. But when it comes to modern grandparenting, some folks are spotting a trend where the expected babysitting mitts stay firmly in the pockets. And let me poke a bit of fun here—did anyone else notice the paradox where ‘grandma’ and ‘can’t do’ increasingly rhyme?
Whether you’re chuckling over the ‘new age’ grandparent that prefers tech support roles to playing the babysitter or nodding along to the tales of grandparents who rock not just in rocking chairs but in managing their digital family portfolios, there’s a buzz. A buzz that hums the tune of double standards in childcare. Some stories resemble more of a hilarious swap meet than a family gathering, with old-school grandparenting values traded for ski trips and part-time businesses.
This article isn’t just scratching the surface; it’s diving in headfirst into the whirlpool of modern grandparenting dynamics. From the changing role of grandparents, their involvement in childcare, and those ever-persistent family expectations, we’re tackling it all.
Ready to dive in and understand this new grandparenting era where sometimes the grandparents seem more like… colleagues?
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Many people can’t wait to be grandparents – to spoil the little ones in the family to no end, leaving the repercussions of their actions for the kids’ parents to deal with.
But not all grandparents are equally willing, or able, to spend a lot of time with their grandchildren, which this netizen found a little bothersome. Opening up to the Mumsnet community, she discussed what she describes as “modern grandparenting double standards”, pointing to how grandparents nowadays are not like they used to be back in the day.
Modern-day grandparents are not what grandparents used to be back in the day
Image credits: gpointstudio / Envato (not the actual photo)
This woman was disappointed in the “modern grandparenting double standards”
Image credits: nd3000 / Envato (not the actual photo)
Image credits: TheCalmQuail
Some people feel pressured by their parents who want to have grandchildren
For many people with kids, becoming a grandparent is one of the main things they look forward to at an older age. And while some wait patiently, leaving it up to their kids whether or not to have offspring of their own, others make it clear that grandkids are something they expect.
Though, according to a YouGov’s survey from 2023, not that many people feel pressured by their parents to have kids. Only 9% of respondents said that the pressure from their parents played a major role in their decision to have children (vs. 25% of respondents saying that pressure from their partner did). For 6% of those surveyed, though, the pressure was put on them not by their own but by their partner’s parents.
The survey found that just over a half of the respondents believed it’s bad to pressure kids to have children of their own, while a third didn’t have as strong of an opinion on the matter. One-in-ten respondents thought, though, that it’s good to put pressure on the kids, if you want grandchildren running around at some point.
Part of why some people might be eager to become grandparents is because in many people’s opinion, grandparenting is easier than parenting. (The aforementioned survey found that as much as two-thirds of meemaws and peepaws think so.) Which means that as a grandparent, you get to enjoy all the fun parts, minus the sleepless nights and other difficult parts of being a parent.
Many parents turn to their own moms and dads for help with childcare
It’s true that for some people, there is nothing and no one more precious than their grandkids. Which is why many do all they can to help their kids raise their offspring and want to spend as much time as possible with them. But when that’s not physically possible, some turn to technology to maintain the relationship – data suggests that many grandparents use the telephone, video chats, or e-mail (46%, 24%, and 16% of respectively) to stay in touch with their grandkids.
