They say you’re never truly done with parenting, and some grandparents are sure to take that to heart. It’s nice to have extra help, but as a parent, you want to do things your way — a sentiment that grandparents often don’t fully understand.
Mom and parenting influencer Paige Connell (@sheisapaigeturner) shared her friend’s generational frustrations on Instagram Reels. While her friend tried to set rules and boundaries for interactions with the kids, the grandparents just didn’t respect them because I’m sure the parents felt it was too familiar.
“Her mom said, ‘Hey, I’m a parent. I raised three kids. I know what I’m doing, and you’re acting like I’ve never been a parent before, like nothing I know matters. ,” Cornell explained.
Does anyone have a little eye twitch? Yeah, I’m sure everyone is tired of hearing that.
Thankfully, Cornell shares her thoughts on the subject and explains it in a way that maybe — just maybe — can reach your beloved baby boomer parents.
“If you’re a grandparent, you probably haven’t been an active parent in 15 to 20 years,” she said. “If I were out of the workforce for 15 to 20 years, a lot of things would change. Maybe the whole philosophy of the job would be the same, but maybe not, and everything needed to do the job would change. That’s what parenting is. What’s going on with the kids, right?
Okay, we’re listening.
“We know better now,” Cornell continued. “There’s more information than ever before. We parent differently because we’ve learned so much in the last 15 to 20 years. So even if you’ve been doing this job for 20 years, you’re an amazing mom, you’re very Excellent, a lot can change in 15 to 20 years, and I think that’s what the baby boomer grandparents are missing.
Connell is careful to point out that this doesn’t necessarily mean grandma or grandpa did anything wrong raising you (you should probably make sure to actually drive home if you want this conversation to go well). They have more information now, and you are the one who knows it all.
“We ask that you respect our boundaries and listen to us because we are active parents now. We are the ones who get product safety recalls. We are the ones who talk to pediatricians. We are active parents, so we Knowing what’s best for our children,” she explained.
Many parents in the comments share similar grandparent frustrations.
“I’ve never understood why my grandparents were so keen on pushing boundaries,” one person said.
“I think another reason is that our parents never fully accepted us as their peers as adults,” another responded. “With the exception of adult children and parents, it’s normal to have boundaries in almost every environment. Let’s normalize them.
“I exist for your upbringing. With all due respect, I know where your weaknesses are.
However, some commenters disagreed with Cornell, saying we should be grateful to grandparents who live nearby for their advice.
One person said: “While I agree that the amount of information parents have today has changed a lot, and that much of it is worth knowing, that doesn’t mean the information that grandparents had access to over generations isn’t valuable.”
“Really, nothing has changed except the ability to Google everything. It’s so tragic because instead of asking your parents for advice that’s like gold, you’re asking a cold computer, which Research will uncover those who have no investment in your family,” argued another.
Look, I’m sure grandparents have a lot of wisdom to share, but maybe they should respect you as a parent? Maybe? Just a thought!
If you try this analogy with your overbearing baby boomer parents, we’ve got your back!
