Grandparents

[zebedee]

I don't know how many Grandparents there are on this forum, but, if you are one, have you ever, or do you do things with your grandkids delibarately to wind up the parents? I obviously don't mean nasty things. An example. I taught my grandson the 'Gandans', his word for me, way of drinking tea, or in his case chocolate milk shake.

Step 1 - slurp noisily

Step 2 - swallow

Step 3 - let out breath in an explosive sigh of satisfaction = 'Haaaaah'

Step 4 - Watch his mum fume

Brill!

[jackie j]

I let my grandson have food that mum doesnt like him having ( not too much ) as I only see him once a week it doesnt harm him. Last night he had a small glass of coke, but he also had raspberries ( to compensate ) fresh from my allotment lol

[Incy]

OOh zebedee, evil granps!

[Glutton4...]

I'm not a Parent or a Grandparent, but I used to love winding up my Nephew when he was younger - so I guess it's the same - you gotta get your own back somehow!

[piskieinboots]

I'm a Grandparent -apparently

[SarzWix]

My mam used to delight in buying my kids all those noisy toys (electronic or otherwise) that I wouldn't have had in the house...

[FionaH]

My dad fed both my kids chocolate ice cream at 6 weeks old! I was hysterical the first time round

[Nicos]

My in-laws bought my daughter a violin when she was 4!!!! ( andfrom time to time...ie most days for years.... until it suddenly clicked!)

[FionaH]

My in-laws bought my daughter a violin when she was 4!!!! ( andfrom time to time...ie most days for years.... until it suddenly clicked!)

oh thats just cruel!

[Nicos]

oh thats just cruel!

Hmmm.......

[ckfe]

My mam used to delight in buying my kids all those noisy toys (electronic or otherwise) that I wouldn't have had in the house...

YES my daughters grandparents do the same thing!!!.. they bring them into the house with a smug grin on their face.. we can't wait for her to be naughty so we can take them off her as punishment

[Flummery]

Certainly not! I remember how cross I was when my parents gave our tiddlies tea with sugar in. They didn't have anything with sugar in and had sweets in the evening - just before teeth cleaning time. My parents could never see the link beteween the fact that my kids - now in their 30s - have no fillings whereas the parents both had dentures!

It took much persistence on my part to insist that there was no sugar again at home. They turned me into the 'baddie' for the sake of a few spoonfuls of sugar.

Do this sort of thing and your kids' resentment at you will last over 30 years like mine has - and I'm normally quite placid.

[kirsty b]

When pickle was 2 weeks old, my Dad tok her down the pub to meet and be shown off to all his cronies. I was there, but one of the old boys dipped his finger in his scotch and rubbed it on her gums! Didn't really mind all that much cos it wouldn't have been more than a smudge. Dad also taught her to dip her dummy in Guiness froth too. Don't think he has done anything deliberately to wind me up though.
As his only granddaughter she has got him right where she wants him!

[zebedee]

OOh zebedee, evil granps!

YUP, guilty as charged

[bluemoon]

My eldest daughter was colicky, OH's parents would turn up, pass her around for an hour, winding her up, then leave. By this point she'd be screaming and it would sometimes be 72 hours before she stopped crying (yes, a new-born really can scream non-stop for that long). I've always tried to make sure that when I do anything with my grandchildren it was always a help to their parents, so I'll take one out for the day if his younger sister has a doctor's appointment for example or their mum and dad need to decorate. I buy ice-creams, but rarely sweets, except at Easter, and they've learned that these sort of things are treats when they are with Nanny and Grampy. One of their favourite things, which cost us nothing and didn't involve sugar in any way, was to join them in the local library, and now we take them to change their books, we all enjoy that and it's a lovely way to spend an hour or two with them. I suppose I have annoyed my daughter at times, but it certainly wasn't intentional. The one time I did annoy her, was well aware of it, and didn't stop, was when our grandson was born prematurely and spent several weeks in the special care unit. She and her OH just accepted the situation, but I clashed head-on with the medical staff about everything. In a way it was probably the best tactic we could have found, even if we'd sat and consciously thought it out. I ensured that we were kept properly informed and could therefore make informed decisions, but the staff could think 'Oh, they're lovely parents.... but the mother in law is a complete dragon'