I Threw My Parents a "Grandparent Baby Shower," and It's Been a Total Lifesaver
I’ve heard it said that grandparenting is the golden ticket — you get all the rewards without the responsibilities. As I watch my own parents and in-laws as grandparents, I’ve come to the conclusion that this saying is pretty accurate. For the most part, parents are the ones doing all the heavy lifting (i.e. disciplining, homework, diffusing tantrums, making them eat healthy on occasion …), whereas grandparents get to enjoy more of the fun stuff — the “highlight reel” type of moments (i.e. giving them special treats and taking them on exciting adventures). As a result, I’m pretty sure our parents were just as excited as my husband and I during our first pregnancy. As I prepared our baby girl’s nursery, our parents were excitedly discussing plans for creating their own little nooks for her. And as I gleefully added items to my baby registry, my mom was busy starting a children’s book collection and my mother-in-law was storing all the hand-me-downs from friends who had already joined ...