Every grandparent says what a special experience it is. But nothing quite prepares you for welcoming your grandchild into the world. Please don’t think I didn’t fall in love with my two babies, I did! But is a different quality of love, something really hard to describe.
In November 2016, we welcomed wee Felix to the family. Weighing 3.1 kg, he is a’la Goldilocks, not too heavy, not too light, just perfect! We didn’t know he would be a little boy, and somehow I had this little dream that baby would be a girl, so I was a teeny bit disappointed. Quick as anything, those thoughts fled. I was filled with wonder looking at the little bundle who slept all curled up next to his mum, or lay across his dad’s chest in a Bruce Lee flying kick position, with a blue foot sticking out.
Over the next few weeks, joy overwhelmed me, a certainty grew within me that I would do anything to protect this child, that I love him with an agape love, unconditionally, not expecting anything in return. One friend, a top legal counsel in the American corporate world, resigned from her position when she became a grandma to take up postgraduate studies in environmental law. Her reason? She wanted to make sure the world was a better place for her grandchild.
The need to nurture the young, to share stories that help us do so, that surely must be imprinted into our genes, else how would humans survive? I searched the web to find out more about being a grandparent but there are no such blogs (heaps of mummy blogs), but nothing especially for being a grandparent in a modern cross-cultural setting.
So this is written for all who are welcoming GRAND babies. You can be a grandparent, or a grandaunt, granduncle or a kindly neighbor. I’ll be sharing stories on subjects ranging from Facebook faux pas, how NOT to tread on your in-laws toes, to traditional foods for postnatal mums, with recipes updated for busy, modern lives. As far as possible, my stories are backed by peer-reviewed research. This research is denoted by reference usually to a main article for example in the next paragraph where Atta-Swartz refers to the author, then the year and the journal where the article is published.
Fast forward 15 years, and you’ll find that the bonds that you build now with your new GRAND babies will stabilize them during teen years (survey of 1400 adolescents Atta-Swartz, 2015 American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, vol 85). If you are keen to read this article, or any of the articles which I refer to in my other posts, just email me using the contact link on this website.
Sweet dreams Grandbaby,
Poh-Ling
2 comments
Dear Poh-Ling, I have finally signed up to your blog. I look forward to reading it!
Hello Sue, Lovely that you’ve visited and signed on! Look forward to your contributions! As Bill would say – share the love.