It is said: "Grandparents make the world a little softer, a little kinder, a little warmer." Indubitably, this is something nobody can argue with. With Grandparents' Day just over, we take a look at the kind of bond grandchildren share with their grandparents and what it is that grandparents do, that kids seem to enjoy.
Given the fact that in most families both parents are working professionals, inevitably it is the grandparents who are the real caregivers. When kids are young, grandparents happen to be their favourite playmates for more reasons than one. Apart from having enough time to spare, grandparents love to be a part of everything their grandchildren do. They don't mind acting silly and giving in to the demands of the little brats. "Playing with grandchildren makes us feel young again," claims a grandmother, Chandini Kumari. Whether it is playing hide-and-seek, solving a puzzle or simply watching "Tom and Jerry" together, grandparents are game for any activity their grandchildren want them to be part of.
Grandparents will always be loved and remembered for the fascinating bedtime stories they read or narrate to kids. Going to the park hand-in-hand, taking them for music or swimming lessons or walking them to playschool and back are the other things grandparents and grandchildren enjoy alike. "Those were really the 'walks to remember'. Every single day, we would stop by an ice cream parlour and my grandfather would treat me to a Chocobar," recalls Manvi Gupta, a 10th grader.
While parents may discipline rather harshly, grandparents have a charming style of their own while they correct the children and teach them right from wrong.
There are those who don't physically live with their grandparents but are emotionally attached to them. According to Nimi George, an engineer, "Grandparents, especially those that aren't too conservative, are good companions not just when we are kids but also when we've grown up to be mature adults. When I met my fiancé for the first time, it was only my grandmother who knew what was going on and I would always go to her for counsel and advice. She has always been there for me."
Playing pool with your grandfather or shopping at the malls with your grandmother isn't an uncommon or absurd sight these days. Though there is a whole generation gap that exists, the bond shared between grandparents and grandchildren has become stronger than ever before.
