These 4 grandparents’ behaviors that annoy all parents

Grandparents can be valuable allies in raising children. They can spend time with them, play, pick them up from school… In short, be an integral part of their lives, which is often precious for parents overwhelmed by everyday life.

But sometimes, certain behaviors of grandparents can irritate parents, as proven by the Huffington Post, which questioned its Internet users on this subject. Here are the four behaviors that annoy them the most.

Do not call the child by his first name

Grandparents can, like when they had their own children, like this or that name and sometimes suggest it for the name of their future grandson or granddaughter. However, the parent may not agree and name their child differently.

This can cause disagreement between the two parties and lead grandparents not to use the chosen first name. This is what one of the Internet users testifies, explaining that her mother “not liking the name [son] son (Elijah), she refused to call him that. Instead, she would say ‘this little boy’ or ‘this little baby’ as if he had no name.”.

Doubting their child’s abilities to be a parent

Very often, grandparents involved in the lives of their grandchildren end up giving “advice” on the right way to do things to their children. But things change and the education that a young parent experienced decades ago does not necessarily represent what they want to pass on to their child.

This difference in point of view can be the subject of tensions in families. “I led a group of new mothers in Chicago. One new mother tearfully described her own mother telling her that she knew her baby better than she did. New mothers are so vulnerable; it was heartbreaking”says Lisa.

Expect to be treated like guests

At the time of birth or shortly after, it is common to welcome grandparents into the home so that they can meet the newborn and spend time with family. On the other hand, it is not appropriate to wait to be served as guests, when their daughter and son-in-law (or daughter-in-law and son) have just welcomed a baby into their home.

“My parents expected to be treated as guests in my home while I was exhausted and in pain after a cesarean section. I was having twins and learning to breastfeed for the first time. We didn’t need company or an audience, we needed help and compassion…or to be left alone so we could be topless and take medicine.” Katie remembers.

Expressing disappointment with the sex of the baby

Some grandparents are not careful about asserting their preference for boys or girls. And they do not hide their disappointment when the sex of the expected child does not correspond to their expectations. As Angela tells it: “My former mother-in-law showed up in my hospital room within 30 minutes of my fifth daughter being born and said, ‘It’s a shame it’s a girl.’. Nothing like it to cool relations between the two parties.

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