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There is no doubt that grandparents’ play a huge role in the family and it goes without saying that they should be treated with respect and be honored. Actually very often grandparents think that they are smarter than their children and they know how to raise up the children in better way more than anyone else. Most of the grandparents try to guide their children how to raise up the grandchildren. Sometimes the parents do not agree with the methods or with the mentality of grandchildren and sometimes they may have a conflict about the issues related to grandchildren. To be able to handle all these conflicts related to grandparents and parents is a really hard thing to do, however it is quite possible. Grandparents are meant support their children with their grandchildren, and actually there should be no conflict if anyone knows his or her role in the family, and if no one wants to overact and take too much responsibility. This is how the right relationship and understanding of grandparents and parents must be. However, there are many and many minor issues that you should take into consideration about this issue, that before you may have overlooked.
Thus, actually grandparents can be puzzled because they do not know how you want them treat you child and they do not know how you perceive them as grandparents, so actually you as a parent should let the grandparents know that you need their help and that they can be really useful.
Also you as a parent should not be too much criticizing because they are much older and they have already been parents, they are more experienced and they know how to treat the child. Of course, there can be moments when they are wrong, but do not concentrate on these things much. Another important thing is that the parents should not criticize the grandparents in front of children because later on your child may not respect them and may answer to them in bad way, You can say that you do not want them do this or that thing, but say it private, so that the child will not know about it.
Sometimes the grandparents can really cross the border of grandparents and take too much responsibility over their shoulders. Some of grandparents feel so much worried that they try to perform parents’ role. In reality, the grandparents’ role is really huge, but there are things that should be decided only by parents. So you as a parent should inform the grandparents when you feel so. In their turn, the grandparents should also understand this and try to play the role of grandparent without pushing everyone so much.
Most often when it comes to the topic of grandparents vs parents, then we blame grandparents, however they also have their point of view.
Grandparents think that the parents are not so much experienced than they themselves, and that they can provide all the things that the parents will not be able to provide for child. They think they can raise up a better child. This may be irritating for parents, but they also have to understand that grandparents just want the best for all of them and for the child.
Sometimes grandparents may feel that parents do not respect them and do not take their opinion into consideration. This is also wrong, no matter what the parents should always respect the opinion of grandparents.
It can happen also, that sometimes the grandparents start to be jealous of attention towards the child and this may be a reason for conflict between parents and grandparents. In this case, grandparents should reduce the amount of the ego in themselves, and parents in their turn should not forget about the existence of grandparents.
When you look deep into this topic you will clearly see that in reality it is not so difficult to manage the role of grandparent and parent and to balance between these two amazing roles. I think it is more about the healthy and rational way of thinking, if you accept and understand the nature of your role and you if you stay in your place this will be quite successful family relation. The most important thing here is that the parents should respect and not forget about the grandparents, while the grandparents in their turn must give some freedom to parents with their child and be optimistic about the decisions of parents. Overall the child is the parents’ child and not the grandparents’.
