Connie P
Well-Known Member
My advice to you Miss Marty;
SPOIL HER ROTTEN AND SEND HER HOME!
SPOIL HER ROTTEN AND SEND HER HOME!
I'm going to be a grandmother and would love advice!
- Thread starter Marty
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Reijel's Mom
Well-Known Member
AWW! Marty I'm SO happy for you!!!
You are one smart cookie, so I think that you will do just fine with this g'ma stuff!!! You already know that everyone is an individual, and this is a situation where you are just going to have to learn what works for your family. Even though I think the majority of the advice offered here is GREAT, as a fairly new mommy (my lil girl will be 2 in September), I can say, some of it is not how I would want MY mother-in-law or mother to behave. For example, I think my feelings would have been hurt if my mom or mother-in-law didn't just want to grab up the baby anytime they saw her when she was an infant. But now that my baby's a toddler, she definitely wants/needs her space when she is first around any extended family, as it takes her awhile to warm up, but most of my in-laws just do not listen to me when I request that and it drives me mad and makes for a not very successful interaction
Just keep those lines of communication open with Dan and his significant other; respect what they request; and you will be fine!!!
You are one smart cookie, so I think that you will do just fine with this g'ma stuff!!! You already know that everyone is an individual, and this is a situation where you are just going to have to learn what works for your family. Even though I think the majority of the advice offered here is GREAT, as a fairly new mommy (my lil girl will be 2 in September), I can say, some of it is not how I would want MY mother-in-law or mother to behave. For example, I think my feelings would have been hurt if my mom or mother-in-law didn't just want to grab up the baby anytime they saw her when she was an infant. But now that my baby's a toddler, she definitely wants/needs her space when she is first around any extended family, as it takes her awhile to warm up, but most of my in-laws just do not listen to me when I request that and it drives me mad and makes for a not very successful interaction
Just keep those lines of communication open with Dan and his significant other; respect what they request; and you will be fine!!!
weebiscuit
Well-Known Member
Well, of COURSE this is going to be YOUR child! LOL! I don't know how close you live to Dan, but if you are within a short distance, by the time that child is three you'll probably be the most important person in her life! LOL!
Grandparents are just so special. I have six grandkids. One is married, the other is 19, then there is a 14 and 9 year old who are in Georgia, but the two youngest (8 and 3) live right here, across our hayfield! There is rarely a day that goes by that we don't see them. I drive my four wheeler down there once or twice a day and I'll take them for a ride or up to my house so their mom can do her aerobics or clean house. It works out to everyone's advantage.
What i never ever do is give my opinion about anything! But I don't really need to because my son and his wife are the best parents I've ever seen. We all go out to eat once a week, and my husband and I spend an evening or two each week down there as they'll have a firepit going and we'll sit around and talk. My 8 year old granddaughter told me once that she was the luckiest person in the world to have her grandparents living within shouting distance. That made me feel great!
I have a drawer in a hutch that I've filled with coloring books, crayons, colored pencils, stencils and stickers. That's "their" drawer, for when they come over and the weather isn't good outside. I also have what i call a "treasure box" for them. It's got all kinds of craft-type stuff to do, plus Hot Wheel cars for the 3 year old boy, marbles, clay, dinosaurs, books.. just all kinds of things.
I also have a drawer in the kitchen they can both reach... always filled with Oreos (their favorites), Snickers bars, mints and other treats. Their mom doesn't buy many sweets for them, but she knows I have the "sweet drawer" and is fine if I indulge them.
Here's another thing I do... I have a big plastic container, and I cashed in about twenty dollars into dimes at the bank. I put all the dimes in the jar, and every time they come here they get a dime when they do something nice, like putting their color books away, or throwing candy bar wrappers in the garbage and not leaving them on the table, or carrying a dirty dish to the sink. I gave them jars to keep at home to put their dimes in. When they have earned 15 dimes I take them to Dairy Queen for a treat. They have to pay their 15 dimes towards the treat, and they love doing it because they know they earned that money. And those dimes add up fast because they are here so often.
Today they helped us pick up rocks left on the creek bank after a rip rap project so they both got another dime. They get really excited over this. LOL. It's fun for all of us, though.
Another thing we do is "nature hunts" outside. I'll write a list of things they have to find, like a scavenger hunt. Feathers, mushrooms, a hickory nut, a maple leaf, a wild blackberry or honeysuckle berry. We'll walk along the trails and it's a great way of teaching them what trees, berries, birds, etc. we have around here. I also take photos of all the wildflowers in the woods and fields and I've made a "field guide" book for the 8 year old girl. She takes the book along and looks for the pictured flowers as we walk, and then she writes down where she saw it and the date. This way she learns all the woodland and prairie flowers.
I also made a "critter book" for her.. basically the same as the flower book. I capture snakes I find around here and photograph them and label them. Same with toads, frogs, spiders, beetles, raccoons, possums, squirrels, chipmunks and all the other critters I find around here. I want her to learn the names of the stuff most people pass by... like different spiders and frogs and other things, along with all the songbirds.
There are just so many things you'll think of that will suit your own situation, and you will have the best time of your life with that little girl!
Grandparents are just so special. I have six grandkids. One is married, the other is 19, then there is a 14 and 9 year old who are in Georgia, but the two youngest (8 and 3) live right here, across our hayfield! There is rarely a day that goes by that we don't see them. I drive my four wheeler down there once or twice a day and I'll take them for a ride or up to my house so their mom can do her aerobics or clean house. It works out to everyone's advantage.
What i never ever do is give my opinion about anything! But I don't really need to because my son and his wife are the best parents I've ever seen. We all go out to eat once a week, and my husband and I spend an evening or two each week down there as they'll have a firepit going and we'll sit around and talk. My 8 year old granddaughter told me once that she was the luckiest person in the world to have her grandparents living within shouting distance. That made me feel great!
I have a drawer in a hutch that I've filled with coloring books, crayons, colored pencils, stencils and stickers. That's "their" drawer, for when they come over and the weather isn't good outside. I also have what i call a "treasure box" for them. It's got all kinds of craft-type stuff to do, plus Hot Wheel cars for the 3 year old boy, marbles, clay, dinosaurs, books.. just all kinds of things.
I also have a drawer in the kitchen they can both reach... always filled with Oreos (their favorites), Snickers bars, mints and other treats. Their mom doesn't buy many sweets for them, but she knows I have the "sweet drawer" and is fine if I indulge them.
Here's another thing I do... I have a big plastic container, and I cashed in about twenty dollars into dimes at the bank. I put all the dimes in the jar, and every time they come here they get a dime when they do something nice, like putting their color books away, or throwing candy bar wrappers in the garbage and not leaving them on the table, or carrying a dirty dish to the sink. I gave them jars to keep at home to put their dimes in. When they have earned 15 dimes I take them to Dairy Queen for a treat. They have to pay their 15 dimes towards the treat, and they love doing it because they know they earned that money. And those dimes add up fast because they are here so often.
Today they helped us pick up rocks left on the creek bank after a rip rap project so they both got another dime. They get really excited over this. LOL. It's fun for all of us, though.
Another thing we do is "nature hunts" outside. I'll write a list of things they have to find, like a scavenger hunt. Feathers, mushrooms, a hickory nut, a maple leaf, a wild blackberry or honeysuckle berry. We'll walk along the trails and it's a great way of teaching them what trees, berries, birds, etc. we have around here. I also take photos of all the wildflowers in the woods and fields and I've made a "field guide" book for the 8 year old girl. She takes the book along and looks for the pictured flowers as we walk, and then she writes down where she saw it and the date. This way she learns all the woodland and prairie flowers.
I also made a "critter book" for her.. basically the same as the flower book. I capture snakes I find around here and photograph them and label them. Same with toads, frogs, spiders, beetles, raccoons, possums, squirrels, chipmunks and all the other critters I find around here. I want her to learn the names of the stuff most people pass by... like different spiders and frogs and other things, along with all the songbirds.
There are just so many things you'll think of that will suit your own situation, and you will have the best time of your life with that little girl!
Well at the moment, Dan doesn't live too far from me. Down the hall, last door on the left! But he should be moving out pretty soon now into a rental until he saves more money for a down payment for something. I never thought I'd see the day when I wanted him to move out of my house but its time now for him to go make his starter family home so I'm ready to let him go now. Ashley and I are going tomorrow to look at places to rent. And I'm wanting to here some blasted wedding bells too already DANIEL! You hear me? ugh....
I simply adore his Ashley. I could not have hand picked anyone better for him if I tried. She's so feminine but ever inch as tought and redneck as they come at the same time. She said still wants to be a Swat Cop eventually and go shoot bad guys. She has been the only person in the past 5 years of his grief that has managed to make him smile and laugh his head off again. When she comes into the room, he lights up like a Christmas tree. I love being around her.
This is a lot of good advice here. A lot of the advice and ideas actually sound like just how I raised my boys. I kept it simple and hopefully meaningful. My mom was the most perfect grandmother ever and I hope I can be atleast half of how wonderful she was to my boys. I can't wait to teach her how to play piano, carve a pumpkin and decorate with Christmas lights. I"m considering training Baby Chrissy to saddle so she can learn to ride on her. Glad I kept all my helmuts.
I simply adore his Ashley. I could not have hand picked anyone better for him if I tried. She's so feminine but ever inch as tought and redneck as they come at the same time. She said still wants to be a Swat Cop eventually and go shoot bad guys. She has been the only person in the past 5 years of his grief that has managed to make him smile and laugh his head off again. When she comes into the room, he lights up like a Christmas tree. I love being around her.
This is a lot of good advice here. A lot of the advice and ideas actually sound like just how I raised my boys. I kept it simple and hopefully meaningful. My mom was the most perfect grandmother ever and I hope I can be atleast half of how wonderful she was to my boys. I can't wait to teach her how to play piano, carve a pumpkin and decorate with Christmas lights. I"m considering training Baby Chrissy to saddle so she can learn to ride on her. Glad I kept all my helmuts.
Connie P
Well-Known Member
I'm SO proud of you Marty! I just wanted you to know that!
