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I had to chuckle when I saw the following announcement in our church bulletin:
Grandparenting Support Group Forming: Interested in sharing joys and concerns of being a grandparent? Want to develop additional skills to help your grandchildren deal with 21st century challenges, with integrity? A group is forming to encourage one another in the important role of grandparenting.
It went on to share where to meet and who to call, etc. The person forming the group is a baby boomer, and I’m not surprised. While I am not fortuntate enough to be a grandparent (my children are 21, 22 and 24) I certainly have siblings and dear friends who can’t say enough good things about their intelligent, adorable, wonderful, fun, and any other positive adjective you like to throw in, grandchildren.
My reason for chuckling is because baby boomers re-invent every life stage we enter which we are currently doing with grandparenting and retirement. Go boomers go! 
I just love our enthusiasm.
While attending a conference in DC several months ago, I was fortunate enough to meet Stacie Owen from www.Grandparents.com. She shared an fascinating presentation about the boomer grandparent, and since then I’ve been following their Web site which offers excellent articles, advice, gift and travel ideas and so much more.
On behalf of the editors at www.Grandparents.com, I offer the following statistics:
- 72% think being a grandparent is the single most important and satisfying thing in their life
- 63% say they can do a better job caring for grandchildren than they did with their own
- 43% became grandparents in their fifties, 37% in their forties, with the average age of grandparents in this country at 48.
- By 2010, more than 50% of the grandparent population will be baby boomers — by 2015, it will increase to nearly 60%.
- 60% live close to their grandchildren
- 46% wish they could live even closer
- 70% see the kids at least once a week
- 66%travel with their grandkids
- 81%have their grandkids for part or all of their summer vacation
- 55% play video games with their grandchildren
- 72% take care of their grandchildren on a regular basis
- 13% are primary caregivers
- 92% have changed their grandchild’s diaper
- 64% accompany their adult children or grandchildren to the doctor
- 86% bake cookies for their family
If you’re a grandparent, I encourage you to visit their site. Also, how about telling us about your grands? What do you enjoy about this life stage?
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I am a step-Mammaw but I could not love my grandchildren more if they were my own flesh and blood. I find I’m more patient with grandchildren and involve them with baking, cooking and playing down on their level…Andrew is almost 2 and a half and Adrianna is almost 4 so they have lots of energy. They are keeping me young and remind me that life moves much too quickly…love them and give them memories that will stay with them a lifetime.
I don’t have children, and obviously no grandchildren. It amazes me how young grandparents look. My grandparents and my friends’ grandparents when growing up seemed to look and act old. Now, grandparents do everything, go everywhere!
Dee, my niece and her daughter are staying with us until tomorrow morning. Her daughter is six and a real doll. I’m getting a glimpse of grandparenting and love it. I’d forgotten how predicous an age this is.
Lynn, boomers are changing the look of grandparenting. The funny thing is that we still probably look and act old through the children’s eyes. I wonder…
I became a grandmother at age 46. I have two grandsons Cooper and Connor who are ages eight and five respectively. It’s interesting how we tolerate so much more with the grandkids. I remember the day Cooper marked on my walls with a crayon. I simply got a wet cloth and wiped it off. No big deal. Yet, it was when his mother was the same age and did something similar. Obviously I’ve gotten wiser with age as to what’s really important. Both boys love to bake cookies with me and I enjoy our time together.
Such a gret reflection. Isn’t it fun to mellow with age regarding children’s behavior?