Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: A Personal View

How many grandparents do you know are raising their children? How many are very involved in their grandchildren's lives? Is there a difference between the two questions? That is an answer you will have to make for yourself. As for me; well, my answer may seem to be rather absurd or very clear and concise. You see it is all dependent upon your own perceptions and beliefs. Yet if you are reading this it means to me that you are interested in my thoughts on this subject. You may even wish to discus your thoughts on it and that is what I wish to do. Welcome, to my answers! To begin with; I know many grandparents who have raised or are raising their grandchildren. Too many to count actually. I watch them as they deal with the issues of today's youth. Some work hard to make pennies stretch in order to provide for their wards. Others are dominated with worry as they arrange their schedules in order to be available for their charges. Some find themselves exhausted from this stress, but they still continue on in ways which place the grandchildren first and they last. My answer to the second question is the same as the first. Again I know many grandparents who are immensely involved in their grandchildren's lives. They want to be a part of this youngest generation and their descendants. These people love and enjoy being with the grandiose and spend as much time as they can with them. Now the answer to the third question. Is there a difference? Well; both yes and no. You see this query is rather ambiguous. It is surrounded by multiple shades of grey. Some grandparents do not want to raise their grandchildren, but they have to for the children have lost all rights to the kids and the grandparents must take care of them. Other grandparents are raising the grandchildren because they feel that they have too. This is due to their children not being responsible enough or too busy. These are the sad ones; for the grandparents have been forced into a situation they were not prepared for. On the flip side there are grandparents who are in the same situations and are eager to raise their grandchildren. You see I've seen all of these and I wondered what was the difference between the these grandparents. That was when I thought about my own grandparents. Both sets were highly involved in mine,my sister and brother, and my cousins lives. We kids (sorry about the grammar) grew up in the love, wisdom, and warmth of Gramp and Gram Peak and Grandpa and Grandma Eccleston. You see they would have us spend the night with them all the time. They had us stay with them when our parents had to do something or go someplace. We were always at their house which was home to us. I cannot even tell you how many times we grandchildren were basically living with our grandparents. They represented home and family. We had toys there.clothing, and a bed always. We were talked to, disciplined, told stories to, bathed, hugged, and sheltered. Food of all sorts was available and if you ask any of the grandchildren they will tell you about all the fun had helping out grandmothers snap beans, cook dinner, or bake cookies, pies, cakes, or popcorn balls and candy apples. Then there was just as much fun with our grandfathers who taught us what a man truly was; for both the boys and the girls. My grandfathers showed us it was okay to hug someone; to show love; to be firm; to have your word be accepted by others; but to listen to what others have to say. They taught us to take time for the young and for our neighbors. They worked hard and enjoyed life. They gave us their values, their thoughts, and beliefs; then we took what they gave and molded our own views. This is what determines my answers on the questions. I look at my grandparents and understand my viewpoints on family. We are here to not only be apart of our grandchildren; we are here to raise them. I hope someday to have grandchildren and do for them what my grandparents did for me. And to all of you grandparents who are raising your grandchildren and being involved in their lives - I salute you for you know what it means to be a family and you are sharing your lives with children who look to you for comfort, love, and the continuation of your family.