Grandkids - What did Grandma do!!!

[JohnsonJones]

You know that saying that the great thing about grandkids is that when grandparents get tired of them...they can send them home???

NOT TRUE!!!

Sorry...I love my grandkids, but a little wanting to send them home today.

Grandma decided it would be great for us to take care of them for their parents.  Long ago, so I could take naps and other things we started buying game systems to keep them occupied.  We have a Playstation 3, a Playstation 4, an Xbox, and a Wii (it's the new one...so Wii-U??).  Grandkids love coming here and playing on these things.  They always want to show me something occasionally.

So, today was different.  I wanted to watch the Olympics which are on.  We have four TVs.  EVERY ONE OF THEM was being used by a grandkid or grandkids.  They did not want to watch the Olympics.

Great time for parents to come pick them up?  Right?

Wrong. 

Grandma says we have them all weekend....

PS: Don't get me wrong, absolutely love my grandkids, I adore each one of them, this is just me still learning how to have unconditional love.  I know there is supposed to be a way to watch it on the computer, I will probably figure it out just in time to go to bed tonight.

[Blossom76]

LOL, please tell me you have at least 4 of them, or you got totally ripped on the TV thing,  suppose getting them to sharing a TV (or two or three) is out of the question?

If all fails use bribery - Grandpa will give the first grandkid who gives up their TV for the Olympics $50

[zil]

My fondest memory of grandparents was that every time we went to visit them (we lived in another state), grandpa would take us to the deep freeze in the garage (detached), get us popsicles, and say, "Don't tell grandma."   I remember one summer, he was out of popsicles, so we walked with him to and from the store to get more.

As far as I'm concerned, no "game system" on the planet could hold a candle to that.

I also remember (but I think this was before we moved out of state, when we lived across the driveway), grandpa would take us to the garden out back, turn over some dirt, and we'd pull worms out and put them in a can.  Then grandpa would take us to the lake to go fishing (I couldn't have been older than 5).  Fishing consisted of grandpa casting the lines, us holding the poles, yelling for grandpa when a fish bit, grandpa reeling it in and putting it in a bucket, then us going home and saying, "Look what I caught!"

Yeah, game systems can't compare to that either.  I feel sorry for modern-day children.

[JohnsonJones]

44 minutes ago, Blossom76 said:

LOL, please tell me you have at least 4 of them, or you got totally ripped on the TV thing,  suppose getting them to sharing a TV (or two or three) is out of the question?

If all fails use bribery - Grandpa will give the first grandkid who gives up their TV for the Olympics $50

We have 22 (I think that is the number...trying to count on my hands to make sure [say the name and use a finger each time]...but sometimes I lose track of the exact number).  Luckily only around 5 are here right now.  The littlest one here currently is six and he's peeking around the corner at me right now.  I'm not sure what he is doing...but he peeks out his head then ducks back when I look at him and smiles...then when I go back to typing this his head peeks out again.

Grandma came down about 25 minutes ago and has that charm about her (she's always been charming) that convinced the oldest three to watch figure skating with her, so the Olympics are on finally.

Edit:  Ah...I just understood what was happening with the 6 year old.  Supposedly he was sent to bed by Grandma and he's snuck out of it to watch behind her back.  His secret is safe with me...

Edited February 11, 2018 by JohnsonJones

[Blossom76]

They sound adorable, some of my fondest childhood memories are of my grandparents 

[Grunt]

10 hours ago, JohnsonJones said:

You know that saying that the great thing about grandkids is that when grandparents get tired of them...they can send them home???

NOT TRUE!!!

Sorry...I love my grandkids, but a little wanting to send them home today.

Grandma decided it would be great for us to take care of them for their parents.  Long ago, so I could take naps and other things we started buying game systems to keep them occupied.  We have a Playstation 3, a Playstation 4, an Xbox, and a Wii (it's the new one...so Wii-U??).  Grandkids love coming here and playing on these things.  They always want to show me something occasionally.

So, today was different.  I wanted to watch the Olympics which are on.  We have four TVs.  EVERY ONE OF THEM was being used by a grandkid or grandkids.  They did not want to watch the Olympics.

Great time for parents to come pick them up?  Right?

Wrong. 

Grandma says we have them all weekend....

PS: Don't get me wrong, absolutely love my grandkids, I adore each one of them, this is just me still learning how to have unconditional love.  I know there is supposed to be a way to watch it on the computer, I will probably figure it out just in time to go to bed tonight.

Welcome to my world, only I'm the parent.  We made the choice to limit TV and gaming.  It has made me a better parent, in my opinion, because I have to actually parent.  It's not always easy to stop what I'm doing and help/play with/teach my children, but I always learn it's far more rewarding.

Last week it was getting dark, 20 degrees out, I was battling a sinus infection, and I'd had a super long day at work.  I was thinking of eating early and going to bed.  I was sitting on the couch doing some work I had brought home when my son asked me to go outside and toss the football. I said no, it was getting too dark, and he said OK with disappointment all over his face.  I got up, turned on the floodlights, and we went out to throw the football around for over an hour.  

We had a blast.  I was thankful for the time alone with him and learned more about him.  I'm lucky to be his dad.

[NightSG]

10 hours ago, JohnsonJones said:

We have 22 (I think that is the number...trying to count on my hands to make sure [say the name and use a finger each time]...but sometimes I lose track of the exact number).

Use binary and you can get to 1023 on your fingers.

[Just_A_Guy]

My family is in kind of an odd situation where my mom loves to have grandkids around but can’t physically keep up with them—so she winds up crashing and taking a nap, and my dad gets stuck doing a lot of the child-tending.  Mom still loves the *idea* of tending and keeps wanting to have the grandkids over again and again, but Dad is (understandably) getting more tepid about it.

It’s a tricky situation to be in, for sure . . .

[seashmore]

I grew up without video games at home, but when I was about 10-12, someone from the family bought a gaming console (Nintendo NES, maybe) for Grandma and Grandpa's house. They put it in the upstairs back bedroom and I remember playing it with my cousins while the adults talked downstairs. I also remember helping Grandma with jigsaw puzzles on the formal dining room table, which was right next to the living room where Grandpa watched the Packers. As I got older and realized the stoic man was worth spending time with, I'd watch the silly sportsing games with him.

@JohnsonJones I think you have every right to claim a TV as Grandpa's. Put the Olympics on and they'll either watch with you or leave the room. Your house, your rules. The Olympics are a special occasion; video games are not.

[bytebear]

In our house when the kids have too much of video games, we break out the Legos (Duplo actually) and they'll spend hours building things. 

[Guest]

On 2/10/2018 at 8:35 PM, JohnsonJones said:

You know that saying that the great thing about grandkids is that when grandparents get tired of them...they can send them home???

NOT TRUE!!!

Sorry...I love my grandkids, but a little wanting to send them home today.

Grandma decided it would be great for us to take care of them for their parents.  Long ago, so I could take naps and other things we started buying game systems to keep them occupied.  We have a Playstation 3, a Playstation 4, an Xbox, and a Wii (it's the new one...so Wii-U??).  Grandkids love coming here and playing on these things.  They always want to show me something occasionally.

So, today was different.  I wanted to watch the Olympics which are on.  We have four TVs.  EVERY ONE OF THEM was being used by a grandkid or grandkids.  They did not want to watch the Olympics.

Great time for parents to come pick them up?  Right?

Wrong. 

Grandma says we have them all weekend....

PS: Don't get me wrong, absolutely love my grandkids, I adore each one of them, this is just me still learning how to have unconditional love.  I know there is supposed to be a way to watch it on the computer, I will probably figure it out just in time to go to bed tonight.

You have two playstations, an xbox, and a wii-u, all for your grandkids?

You might, just might, be the coolest grandfather I have ever heard of . . . 

[Grunt]

7 hours ago, DoctorLemon said:

You have two playstations, an xbox, and a wii-u, all for your grandkids?

You might, just might, be the coolest grandfather I have ever heard of . . . 

I was going to ask to be adopted.  

[anatess2]

On 2/10/2018 at 9:35 PM, JohnsonJones said:

I will probably figure it out just in time to go to bed tonight.

Dude... GrandParenting 101 is the same as Parenting 101... "I am the boss around here".  You don't get yourself upstarted by 4 kids!  If you want the TV, take the TV.  If you want them to watch the Olympics, tell them to watch the Olympics.  If they don't listen to you, yell at your son/daughter to teach their kids better manners!

My grandparents have no problem giving us whoopings.  I mean, yeah, we still try to steal the special bread grandma hides in her cupboard but we know it's whooping time if grandpa catches us...   My dad was too easy on my kids.  He whooped me but wouldn't whoop my kids.  As a matter of fact, him and my mother would deliberately tell the kids to do things I specifically told them not to do... like overdose on candy before I pick them up!

 

[mordorbund]

1 hour ago, anatess2 said:

He whooped me but wouldn't whoop my kids.  As a matter of fact, him and my mother would deliberately tell the kids to do things I specifically told them not to do... like overdose on candy before I pick them up!

That's GrandParenting 101.

[JohnsonJones]

1 hour ago, anatess2 said:

Dude... GrandParenting 101 is the same as Parenting 101... "I am the boss around here".  You don't get yourself upstarted by 4 kids!  If you want the TV, take the TV.  If you want them to watch the Olympics, tell them to watch the Olympics.  If they don't listen to you, yell at your son/daughter to teach their kids better manners!

My grandparents have no problem giving us whoopings.  I mean, yeah, we still try to steal the special bread grandma hides in her cupboard but we know it's whooping time if grandpa catches us...   My dad was too easy on my kids.  He whooped me but wouldn't whoop my kids.  As a matter of fact, him and my mother would deliberately tell the kids to do things I specifically told them not to do... like overdose on candy before I pick them up!

 

Ah, yes, we also sometimes overdose them on candy.  I've gotten a LOT more lax as I've gotten older.  I used to be very strict on TV, video games, and other things.  However, as I got older I got laxer and the younger kids definitely could do things the older kids could never dream of (cartoons in the house on weekday afternoons or Saturday mornings for example).  With grandkids, I do things entirely different.  I normally don't punish anyone, and instead of trying to force them to do things, give them choices OR realize in the big picture of things, it's just not as important to me anymore.

I can't say my kids are fond of it entirely, and some ask how I could have been so strict when they were young, and so lax now.  Some find it funny.  I simply say I learned how to do things differently, plus...now days I can enjoy spoiling the child...because it's up to them to punish!  I realized that I get a reward as a grand parent, and I LOVE the reward.  When they have smiles on their faces and are happy, that is, perhaps, the greatest reward that I can ask for.  When they are happy, I find that I am happy.

I don't know if I'm a bad grandparent or not, but I always hated punishing the kids and love much more to spoil them.  The catch is that many of the things we have here for them to play on are SHARED things...which means the key to playing with them all, is that they have to share them with any and all the other kids that are here.  These things stay at out house (unless it is a personal gift to the child, which happens often enough on birthdays and Christmas), so it is something that ALL the grandkids can enjoy.  The great thing about consoles is that it seems it has an appeal to all the grandkids, from those that are only around two, to those who are now adults themselves and in college. 

However, I do other things with the grandkids (just in case some were worried it's ONLY about the video games).  I play boardgames with them, and we have enough toys that the younger kids rope me into playing games with them as well (for example, there was this time when a grand daughter of mine had me wearing all this fake jewelry as she loved to play with that type of stuff.  I do not normally enjoy it, but as I said, the smile on their faces makes it all worth it.  I normally prefer to play the army men and airplanes with the young boys, but I also do the little girl type things as well sometimes when they want me too.

I think the biggest change that happened is that I realized I far prefer to see them smiling than frowning...and also decided that as a grandparent I'm just going to enjoy being around the grand kids and being a grand parent as much as possible. 

That may make me a bad grandparent (I hope not), but it sure is a lot more fun these days than when I was younger and was far more strict!

[mordorbund]

20 minutes ago, JohnsonJones said:

I can't say my kids are fond of it entirely, and some ask how I could have been so strict when they were young, and so lax now.  Some find it funny. I simply say I learned how to do things differently, plus...now days I can enjoy spoiling the child...because it's up to them to punish!

Grandparents and grandchildren get along really well because they share a common enemy.

[askandanswer]

If i had grandchildren I'd want them to stay with you.  Do you offer a pickup service or would i have to deliver? 

[JohnsonJones]

4 hours ago, askandanswer said:

If i had grandchildren I'd want them to stay with you.  Do you offer a pickup service or would i have to deliver? 

It depends on how busy the parents are, but normally they drop them off with us. 

When their various spring breaks come along, I expect we'll have almost 10 children in the house, perhaps a few more depending on the specific timing of their spring breaks.

PS: I actually learned something this past weekend about the entire experience.  It is time for me to buy another TV, so we'll have five of them.  I think this one may go in my workshop though.

Edited February 13, 2018 by JohnsonJones

[Guest MormonGator]

I just visited my 90 year grandmother in Sarasota this Sunday @JohnsonJones. Your grandchildren are lucky to have you. I can't imagine my life without my grandmother in it. 

[mordorbund]

55 minutes ago, MormonGator said:

I just visited my 90 year grandmother in Sarasota this Sunday @JohnsonJones. Your grandchildren are lucky to have you. I can't imagine my life without my grandmother in it. 

What MG neglected to tell us was that @JohnsonJones inspired him to set up her xbox so they could have Halo matches for Family Home Evening over xbox live.

[Guest MormonGator]

4 minutes ago, mordorbund said:

What MG neglected to tell us was that @JohnsonJones inspired him to set up her xbox so they could have Halo matches for Family Home Evening over xbox live.

What MG will tell you now is that one of his happiest memories is teaching his grandmother how to play Pac-Man back when I was in high school, so @mordorbund was sort of on to something. 

And Grandma isn't the religious type, for the record. 

Edited February 13, 2018 by MormonGator

[seashmore]

9 hours ago, MormonGator said:

What MG will tell you now is that one of his happiest memories is teaching his grandmother how to play Pac-Man back when I was in high school, so @mordorbund was sort of on to something. 

And Grandma isn't the religious type, for the record. 

I have an old maid of an aunt who is the sweetest, most selfless person I knew as a teenager. One of my favorite memories of her is when we had Thanksgiving at her baby brother's house. My cousin brought out his copy of Grand Theft Auto, and she played her heart out!

[Guest MormonGator]

3 hours ago, seashmore said:

I have an old maid of an aunt who is the sweetest, most selfless person I knew as a teenager. One of my favorite memories of her is when we had Thanksgiving at her baby brother's house. My cousin brought out his copy of Grand Theft Auto, and she played her heart out!

See? Video games can create wonderful memories.! Do you feel vindicated @DoctorLemon? 

[Guest]

24 minutes ago, MormonGator said:

See? Video games can create wonderful memories.! Do you feel vindicated @DoctorLemon? 

We have a Switch at my house.  One of my daughter's favorite things to do these days is to snuggle up on me and watch me play Zelda.  She never wants to play it herself, she just likes watching me play it.  

I don't play Zelda really on my own (it doesn't involve guns), but I am more than happy to play it every now and then for her.

[JohnsonJones]

Okay, another story about Grandma tonight.

Tonight, one of my kids (a daughter) came over for what I thought was going to be family home evening with us. 

Nope...Grandpa has it completely wrong.  Grandma and daughter decided to go out and go shopping or something.  That leaves me and the grandkids.  Grandma gives me $40 and says...have a fun time with family home evening.

Total surprise for me.  Grandma doesn't even have dinner waiting.  So what to do?

I took them all to McDonalds.

While there they created this weird green concoction they called Bug juice.  I looked it up and it does not seem to be what they say it is.  The internet says it's some type of punch served at summer camp.  What they did is they mixed blue poweraid with Orange soft drink to make a green mixture that looked pretty sick.  They convince Grandpa (me) that he has to try this odd concoction.  It was a pretty strong mix of sugar and more sugar.  Definitely not good for my health. 

Well, that was only $20...time to get revenge...

So, we went and I got them ice cream, butter bars, cookies, and candy and they are currently gorging themselves on sugar watching animated scriptures stories behind me (I'm on this computer right now).  I'll have them bouncing off the walls by the time their mother comes back...heh...heh...heh. 

At least I hope they are coming back soon...what happens if my wife and daughter don't come home for another few hours, the stores they are shopping at don't close to 10 and 11 o'clock..hmmm...maybe I haven't thought this through yet...