Connie Walker, a resident at Concordia Village, a Lutheran Senior Services Life Plan Community in Springfield, Illinois, is a grandmother three times over and a great-grandmother to four. Here she shares her reflections on what she loves about being a grandparent and advice for new grandparents and great-grandparents.
Being a grandparent is the most wonderful experience. My favorite part of being a grandparent is simple – just watching them and seeing things through their eyes is wonderful. Everything is so exciting for them! Grandchildren are just so much fun to play with and to watch grow.
I’ve always been proud of my son and my daughter and how they have raised their children. They are very loving but disciplined in a loving way. They want the most for their children, like anyone does, and make sure that their children get what they need. I’m especially proud of my granddaughter, she has four children and is working full-time and getting her masters. I don’t know how she does it all. She manages with grace and by Grace, she has a good husband who works with her. They do get a lot of help from their parents and me when I can.
With my first two great-grandchildren, I babysat while my granddaughter and her husband were getting started. I enjoyed it immensely. Those are wonderful memories, something I’ll never forget.
It’s a balance being a grandparent. You love your grandchildren with all of your heart, like your own children. But you have to learn to have a step back too, especially with how children are raised now. Not saying it’s bad! It’s just different than the way we raised our children. It’s sometimes difficult but you pray that it all turns out well and it usually does.
You love your grandchildren so much and want to be a part of their lives, but when it’s being great-grandma you have to step back and let your child be a grandparent.