An Outsider’s Perspective
The Delicate Journey from Parent to Grandparent & Everything in Between
This morning I awoke to a heated phone conversation between my husband of 15 years and my mother-in-law. During this conversation, I overheard bits of pieces about my sister-in-law and how she parents her own five sons. Yes, five under the age of 14. As an outsider, I felt it best to say nothing and listen. What started as a simple hello quickly went downhill that ultimately ended up as a difference of opinions. You see, their relationship has been this way for quite some time. Fortunately, I always do my best to listen and stay unbias, as being a part of this family for 21 years has provided me with different insight over the years that was neither right nor wrong.
Does Parenting Prepare You to Be a Grandparent?
How beautiful yet complex of a question this is. To me, it seems this is a right of passage, transitioning from parent to grandparent in what is the blink of an eye. Yet, it is a journey I have yet to experience. It is why I speak from an outsider’s perspective only.
Their argument seems to stem from years of indifference in marriage, cultural expectations, parenting, and respect (or lack thereof.) While I wish there is a simple solution to this, I can assure you there is not. Each year as we age, knowledge and…
