There is nothing like being a grandparent, except perhaps sharing this experience with your own mother. Yes, we have four generations in our family, something I wouldn't trade for a second.
Our grandchildren are showered with love and affection and, in return, what do they do? They give us the truth!
They are in that pre-filter age, when whatever they think just comes pouring out their mouths and as a grandmother I hear a lot of unwanted things.
For those of you yet to experience this, here are a few tips to help you stay afloat through those ever surprising moments.
1. Grandma, did you know you have a mustache?
Clearly your grandchild is looking at some dog hair that must have stuck to your upper lip when your lovable boxer greeted you earlier in the day. Well, you can think that all you want. But odds are your grandchild is telling it like it is.
There's not much to do in this situation except laugh it off. And then of course, hurry home to your mirror, pick up the phone and make an appointment with your local esthetician.
2. Grandma, how did you exist without a cell phone?
Well, most grandparents today were not born before the invention of the telephone itself. Before smart phones, yes. But we did have telephones on which to call our friends. We even had long extension cords so that we could walk around our bedrooms.
But to our grandchildren life before texting, emails and iPods falls in the same category as the cave man, dinosaurs and the pyramids. To a young child, fifteen minutes was a long time.
Best to just explain that you survived by spending actual face time with your friends. Granted, you did waste a lot of time waiting by the phone for that someone special to call but it wasn't a life threatening condition to walk around the mall without being plugged into a cell phone.
3. Grandma, when your wrinkles go away, then you can wear a bikini. Right?
If only that were true! This one is pretty much a double dose of the truth. The only thing that gets you on the other side of this blunt fact is a glass of wine.
As it stands, I envy my grandchildren's naivety. Their ability to say whatever comes into their mind without being judged, and without judging others
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Eventually, they will learn to not always blurt out what they are thinking. But in this fast paced day of instant gratification, I hope they stay innocent for a very long time.
Happy Grandparents Day -- September 8th -- to all you grandparents!
Earlier on Huff/Post50:
