Community Chat

[jeanlake]

Dad's side -- my grandfather was 76 when I was born. Dad was the youngest of many siblings and I am his youngest child. Grandfather was cranky and had so many grandchildren. He didn't put the effort into making any of us feel special. Maybe he didn't feel well. I remember he sat on the porch, rocked, and sang LITTLE BROWN JUG and a song about a guy named Tucker, singing for his supper. I know. Weird how we remember things. Dad had a sad history with his father and this affected our relationship with paternal grandfather. 

Mom's side -- my mom had terrific parents and a heartwarming relationship with them. It absolutely left me with wonderful feelings about my maternal grandparents. 

[GCR18]

We grew up spending a lot of time with both sets of grandparents.  The maternal grandparents were more hands on.  Grandma was always cooking something.  Grandpa taught my sister and I now to fish.  They lived in the country with a huge yard.  We were always doing things.  

The paternal grandparents were very proper.  We had to entertain ourselves outside.  The house was full of antiques.  They lived in the city.  We were often given money to go to the store and buy candy.  When we went out, we went to church.

It was great growing up with both sets.  They were very different in every way.

[Lucky Charm]

I had great relationships with all my grandparents.

My mother's parents and aunts it was much less formal than my dad's parents.  We saw them all the time, they lived very close.  Don't remember making messes, but I'm sure we did.  

I never remember a harsh word from any of them.  Never remember us being 'corrected', but we pretty much knew to be on good behavior when we went anywhere.

I do have rules.  No shoes--no exceptions!  Wash your hands when you come in from outside and always before eating.  Girls put their hair in a ponytail, if you're helping with cooking/baking.  They pretty much pick up after themselves (toys/crafts) now that they're older.  But sometimes I feel like my house is turned upside down when they leave!

I hope they have good memories down the road when they think of being at Nana and Poppy's.  They keep coming back!

[luvmybeetle]

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@aroc3435 wrote:

@Desertdi   That is a good one!  My mother would have liked to insist that, too, since she didn't like most of my dad's "tribe" as she referred to them.  Only a few were decent to her and my paternal grandmother wasn't one of the nice ones.  She thought my mother wasn't good enough for my father.  My mom grit her teeth and treated her nicely out of respect for Grandmother's age.

Fate had the last say, since she died in my parents' home, not one of her other six "darling" offspring.

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This sounds like my life.  My mother-in-law thought I was marrying her son for his  money and also thought I was one of those "bad" girls cause I was divorced.  We were Catholic.  First of all he didn't have money.  He was so afraid of what his parents thought that I almost didn't marry him.  Many times I wish I didn't after living around her for many years.  She lived to be 96. 

[Daysdee]

My maternal grandmother was kind of "straight-laced", but not strick or critical, etc.  Grandpa had passed before I was born.  Several cousins on that side so it was fun at the holidays, etc.  Almost everyone lived in this town.   I spent more time with my Dad's parents and they were fun.  I was the only grandchild until I was 7 and then there was just one more girl.   My maternal grandma was one for giving a lot of gifts and very nice items.  My paternal grandma dreaded Christmas and wasn't a "gifty" person.  Funny, but I seem to favor my Dad's side anyway.   Both sides were nice grandparents.

[ALRATIBA]

We lived in a big two-family house.  Maternal grandparents (and 2 uncles and an aunt) lived upstairs.  We (family of six) lived downstairs.  Another uncle, aunt and cousin lived a few doors away.  

Everyone was always up and down the stairs.  

My paternal grandparents passed away many years before I was born.

Just thinking about it ... if they all were alive today ... 

Paternal grandfather was born 1878, grandmother 1883

Maternal grandfather was born 1889, grandmother 1895

[lovesrecess]

Definitely look but don’t touch.
My grandmother’s house smelled like Pine-sol. You could eat off the floor. I have never seen a house so antiseptic. When we were there she would follow us around, hovering, to wipe up after us, even if were just walking. If we used her bathroom, she would go in afterwards and clean it for ten minutes, so we tried not to use the bathroom while there...we usually just played in the backyard....my brothers just went behind the tree instead of using the bathroom inside. Crayons or fingerprint? No way. Didn’t know my father’s parents.
My granddaughters wreck my house when they are here....to my delight....I have all the toys in the den or we go out on the patio and move dirt from the flowerbed to a bucket and back again or blow bubbles. Love spending time outside with them this time of year.

[RedTop]

I grew up on part of my paternal grandparents farm; my maternal grandparents lived 3 miles away in the same neighborhood.   

My parents were the youngest children in their families; my paternal grandparents had 17 grandchildren before dad married.  Dad had 4 nephews who were like younger brothers.  My maternal grandparents had just opened their hearts to my uncles 5 year old stepdaughter, and my aunts newly adopted 16 month old son, when I came along as their first newborn grandchild.   My brothers and I were very special to both sets of grandparents, and we were blessed to spend a lot of time with them. 

I think of my grandparents every day, embrace everything they taught me, and have never felt that they left me.  I sew and cook like farm grandma, pray like Sunday School teacher grandma, use my common sense to get things done like farm grandpa, and my kind, caring heart comes from Papaw.  

[Grammyto3]

My grandparents were easy going and fun. We were always happy to visit. 

Now, I’m a GM of 3 boys and we have tons of fun. They treat our home as their own. 

[Drythe]

Did not know either of my Grandfathers, but both of my Grandmothers were fun, hands on, and taught me a great deal that stayed with me and still guides me.