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This Sunday is
Grandparents Day, and the Met Life Mature Market Institute
recently conducted a nationwide survey of grandparents and
found that grandparents today take an active and generous
role in providing financial assistance. They also prefer
to step in earlier with support rather than to try to provide
a larger legacy later.
Typically, the total amount of this assistance is less
than $5,000, and about 26 percent indicated that the money
was to help with the cost of education, while about 40 percent
said it was for general support.
Grandparents are trying to be especially helpful in these
difficult economic times, even though it may have a negative
impact on their own shrinking finances. Additionally, more
and more grandparents are either helping to raise, or are
completely responsible for the rearing of, their grandchildren.
There is a delightful new picture book, written from a
child’s point of view, which centers around a nontraditional
family of grandparents raising their grandchild. Called
“Sometimes It’s Grandmas and Grandpas,”
the book shares a child’s experience living with,
and being cared for by, grandparents.
Written by Gayle Byrne with warm watercolor illustrations,
it will be available next month. Reading a book like this
together, is a great way to introduce children to other
family structures.
Being a grandparent is not always easy and, as in all aspects
of life, having a well-developed sense of humor smoothes
the way. Here are a few endearing grandparent stories:
- My young grandson called the other day to wish me a happy
birthday. He asked how old I was, and I told him, 72. My
grandson thought a moment, and then he asked, “Did
you start at 1?”
- When my grandson asked me how old I was, I teasingly
said that I wasn’t sure. “Look in your underwear,
Grandpa,” he advised. “Mine says 4 to 6.”
- A 6-year-old was asked where his grandma lived. “She
lives at the airport,” he replied. “And when
we want her, we just go and get her and then when we are
done having her visit, we take her back to the airport.”
- A little girl told her grandfather that she was writing
a story. Intrigued, he inquired what it was about. “I
don’t know” she replied, “I can’t
read yet.”
- A grandfather was delivering his children to their school
when a fire truck zoomed past. Sitting in the front of the
truck was a Dalmatian, and the children began to discuss
the dog’s duties. “They use him to keep crowds
back,” said one child. “He’s just for
good luck,” said a second. A third child brought the
argument to a close. “They use the dogs,” she
said firmly, “to find the fire hydrants.”
- The teacher asked the class to make up a sentence about
a fireman. One small boy wrote: “The fireman came
down the ladder pregnant.” The teacher took the boy
aside to correct him and gently asked, “Do you know
what pregnant means?” “Sure,” said the
boy confidently. “It means carrying a child.”
- I didn’t know if my granddaughter had learned all
her colors yet and decided to test her. I would point out
something in the garden and ask what color it was. She would
tell me and was always correct. This continued for awhile
until she finally headed toward the house and looking at
me a bit impatiently remarked, “You know, Grandma,
you really should try to figure some of these out for yourself.”
Jean Cherni is founder of Senior
Living Solutions, a retirement advisory service. Contact
her at jeancherni@sbcglobal.net or 15 The Ponds, Branford
06405.
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is a full-service real estate company with more than 100
agents and branch offices in greater New Haven and the Shoreline.
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