Almost two and a half years ago, I became a grandmother for the first time. My grandson was born on Thanksgiving so when I wrote about him on my Facebook page and Substack, I called him my Turkey Baby, now Turkey Toddler (TT) which is how I will refer to him here. I’m a person who believes that a lot of things in life are overrated. But not grandparenthood.
When Elise Trainor (Editor-in-Chief/Publisher of Inside Press) asked me to write a piece about being a grandmother for this edition I couldn’t say “yes” fast enough. She offered a few suggestions, and I decided to use those suggestions as sort of a Q & A.
What To Be Called?
I chose “Nana” because it’s close to what I called my own grandmother (Nanny) with whom I was very close. Plus, it’s easy to say. When my Turkey Baby would point to a banana and say “Nana” I would redirect his finger to me and sure enough, he caught on pretty quickly!
Does Your Grandchild Get Away with More?
Although he’s still young, I can already say that the answer to that is an emphatic “YES!” If for example one day into the future he doesn’t do his homework, that’s not a me problem. That’s for his parents to figure out. I’ve already played the role of bad cop and now it’s good cop all the way. My job as Nana is to spoil him and spend quality time with him. Which makes this role so much easier and more fun. Swoop in, have fun, swoop out. Repeat.
Watching Your Child Become a Parent
My Turkey Toddler’s father was honestly my least nurturing child. But he has risen to the job of being a dad in a spectacular fashion- I love seeing how much he loves his son. And he has admitted that it makes him appreciate me more which is an added bonus!
The Other Grandparents
My husband and I are in a What’s App group with our son, daughter-in-law and her parents. We call it Turkey Toddler’s Fan Club. It’s awesome having another set of grandparents who completely understand just how brilliant, gifted, and adorable this little boy is. They totally get it. And just like us, they never tire of seeing pictures and videos of him and hearing anecdotes. I feel closer to them since TT was born and I think they feel the same. Unless they are just being polite.
Something Funny
As I mentioned, my TT was born on Thanksgiving 2023. At around 2 a.m.. Which means we stayed up quite late waiting for all the text updates from our son. Since we were hosting my middle son’s in-laws for the holiday, we had to wake up bright and early to start prepping. They were quite understanding when we hurriedly threw some turkey and sides on the table, ate, and without even cleaning up (which is usually unheard of for this OCD person) drove into the city to meet the newest member of the family. It was definitely the most memorable Thanksgiving ever.
Traditions
One tradition I’ve already enjoyed sharing with my grandson is buying him books. And reading to him whenever we are together and sometimes over FaceTime. If I can make him a lover of all things literary, I will be thrilled. Passing down traditions and sharing things we love with our grandchildren is truly a beautiful thing.
Final Thoughts
I admit that I was a little concerned about becoming a grandmother. I raised my own three sons and was pretty tired. What if I didn’t bond with him? What if I really wasn’t interested in babies anymore?
LOL. As if!!!!
Although yes, I am indeed exhausted and wonder how I parented full-time, this walk on role is much easier. And falling in love with him was as natural and easy as falling in love with my own sons. I am looking forward to my next grandchild, a girl due at the end of May.
To all the moms and grandmothers out there, Happy Mother’s Day!
xoxo, Marlene
