What Grandparents Should Not Do. It’s then that life gives you a grander title―that of being a grandparent. Children benefit enormously from having loving and involved grandparents. All of these roles are significant and important as grandparents seek to love and nurture a new generation. Not every family has the means or the desire to have multiple children, and for some—like those struggling with fertility issues—fielding requests for additional grandkids can be painful.Before you say something that could potentially strain your relationship, just remember how lucky you are to be a grandparent in the first place. One thing that grandparents should not be involved in is interfering or taking sides in their children’s marriage. Grandparents act as fun playmates for children, role models, and family historians, mentors, and help establish self-esteem and security for children. Parents of course have the largest role and influence on their children but grandparents also have a huge role. How disconcerting it is to hear children’s parents put down by their grandparents. iStock. To ensure respect for the couple on their special day, a grandmother is expected to follow certain wedding traditions. Many of today’s grandparents take a very active role in the lives of their grandchildren. Your task as a parent doesn’t really end when your children leave home and start a family of their own. Apart from a few disagreements about dating, she was an important figure in my life… Emotional: This is a very key aspect in a grandparents-grandchildren relationship because when they are with their grandparents, the grandchildren do not have to face the pressure or the high demands they otherwise face from various other quarters of the society - be it the parents, educational institutes or profession. If you want to be a good grandmother, you should first study how to be a good mother-in-law, as this relationship can set the tone for the role of grandmother. Grandparents' Role Within the Family . (Blau, 1984; Kornhaber & Woodward, 1981). As one of the oldest female relatives, a grandmother plays an important and special role on her grandchild’s wedding day, whether she is the grandmother of the bride or groom. Creative grandparents play several roles throughout the lives of their grandchildren. Still, the role of mother-in-law is one of the most important in ensuring healthy family dynamics. In 1987, Crawford concluded that the stronger the tie with grandparents, the less likely children was to develop significant psychopathology in later life. Considered to be a step higher than that of the child’s parents, you take on the role of mediator, confidante, and most-trusted friend. Most immediate family members have traditional roles to play on the wedding day: The bride's father escorts her down the aisle, the groom's mother shares a dance with him at the reception, and siblings are often included in the wedding party. Many times, however, kids are face… When grandparents provide child care for grandchildren or become actual or surrogate parents to their grandchildren, they have a greater than average opportunity to bond. This role of grandparents in the family is more important nowadays with the increasing divorce rates, teenage pregnancy, parents’ career demands, and other social problems. Personally, I was close to my maternal grandmother, who lived with my family during my teen years. Many youngsters are fortunate to have two sets of nurturing and supportive grandparents. They are historians, mentors and role models, among other things. • Grandparents give grandchildren two types of support: 1. 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