My Daughter’s Relationship With Her Grandparents

I really miss having my mom around… And husband misses his parents as well.

Last week my Facebook status said “One relationship I will never understand is of Grand Parents… When people tell how much their kids enjoy staying with their Grandparents, I can’t connect with that. I never got a chance to live with mine and neither is Zoe living with hers… Bangalore becomes a place in the outer space for people who live in North India… :-)”

We shifted to Bangalore from Delhi when Zoe was 4 months old; yeah it was a very tough decision. We thought we’ll be able to manage without any help and any family (well, extended family). We have actually managed pretty well, with some obvious hiccups of course.

When Zoe’s grandparents come to visit us, we love seeing our little tot bond with them. My husband and I get a much-needed break for ourselves. I could take a long break for my workout without thinking about my little one. My work appointments become more professional when I arrive sans Zoe, and without constantly thinking about her. Unfortunately, these moments are very few and far between… Zoe has met her grandparents only a couple of times and when she meets them she needs time to come out of her zone. Eventually when she comes out, it’s time for the goodbyes and farewell. Festivals and special occasions are days when we miss them all the more.

Zoe never forgets to see her grandma’s picture every single day and say “Ammoo, I love you”. That started when Zoe and I returned from our Delhi vacations last December. No one has told her to do so, but she just started doing it on her own. Seeing Zoe bond with her Ammoo, made me wish she spent more days with her. Grandparents definitely play a very crucial role in a child’s life, especially during the early years. Grandparents pamper their grandchildren, they might have scolded you like anything when you were young, but their attitude completely changes when it comes to their grandchildren.

With Hubby and me busy with our assignments and Zoe starting with her school soon, these visits will become shorter and further apart. And considering our parents are getting older, it would be unfair on our part to expect them visit us at the drop of a hat. I find myself feeling a little sorry for Zoe when I see my nephew and niece enjoy the company of their grandparents.

Thanks to technology we meet online regularly through Skype and by uploading pictures on Facebook. We exchange a lot of gifts as well, but these things definitely won’t fill the void completely.

My mom lives with my elder sister, who jokingly says the distance is good for me and my sanity. Well, I don’t completely agree/disagree with her when she says that… but I would sure have felt more blessed to have our parents (at least any one of them) around. So, what’s the other side of the story? I don’t know… Maybe someone who lives with his/her parents or in-laws might throw some light.

A story-teller, a Communication Trainer, a Parenting Blogger, a wife to her best friend and mum to the most adorable 2-year-old – Zoe. Falak Randerian, plays many roles, her favorite Being Zoe’s Mom. She runs story telling & communication workshop for kids My Little Chatterbox. You can read her personal blog Being Zoe’s Mom and her parenting website which she runs along with her elder sister www.momsters.in .