Thoughts on Being a Grandparent

In July 2023 my husband and I became grandparents to a gorgeous little boy called Walter. I hadn’t mentioned this on my blog before for a number of reasons, but as it is new year, it is a good time to reflect on this huge change in our lives. There aren’t any photographs on the blog as my daughter made the decision (very wise, in my opinion) not to have his photo on any social media. My youngest daughter, Isobel, really wanted to be a mum and after moving in with her partner to their new house, they announced in December 2023 that they were having a baby.

I must admit that my initial reaction wasn’t what I thought it would be. I was really pleased for them, but not sure I was ready to be a grandparent. I also felt anxious about her and the baby and worried that something would happen along the way. When I was pregnant all those years ago, I never felt any of these fears, but for some reason with her, these stayed with me throughout the whole pregnancy. It was something I only voiced to a few people, as it was a difficult thing to explain.

I was very excited about a baby in the family and felt an enormous relief when he arrived safely. The moment of joy on seeing him for the first time was indescribable. Anyone who is a grandparent will know this instant feeling of love towards a child who isn’t your own, but is the closest thing to it. Over the next few weeks it became clear that Isobel was an amazing mum and it was incredible seeing Walter changing each time we saw him. It was wonderful to spend time with him and be part of his little world.

In November 2023 we had a shock when Isobel and her partner split up. It was a difficult time for all of us, but we adjusted and supported her as much as we could. In June 2024 when she was due to return to work, she moved back in with us. Over time we have made adjustments to the house to accommodate her and Walter.

He is now almost 18 months old and is so funny and clever. Watching him learn new things almost every day is just astounding. He has a cheeky little personality and keeps us all on our toes. Seeing things through a child’s eyes makes everything seem much brighter somehow. His eagerness and wonder at seeing things for the fist time makes those things exciting again. The major milestones such as sitting up, crawling and walking are some of the greatest moments. You can’t help but smile when you hear him chattering as soon as he wakes up on a morning, even though we don’t always know what he says. Him waving and saying “hiya” when you come through the door after work is delightful. Seeing him fast asleep after a busy day is heart warming.

I sometimes worry that I have become one of those people who talks about their grandchild all the time. Am I at risk of becoming a baby bore? I probably am and quite frankly I don’t really care. Many of our friends and family have grandchildren too and they are always the first thing we chat about when we meet up.

At times it has been exhausting having broken sleep or running around after him all day. There have been difficult and frustrating moments. Having 3 adults and a child living under one roof again can sometimes be stressful. We very rarely have the house to ourselves and it is even rarer that our house is spotlessly clean and tidy. It wasn’t what we planned for this time in our lives, but being able to spend so much time with our grandson whilst he is so young is wonderful. We have developed such a bond with him and we really miss him when we don’t see him for a few days. We know that he won’t be little for ever and these moments are so precious.

In the future we hope that he will remember this as a very happy time in his life and the bonds we have built now will remain strong throughout his life.