10 Common Reasons Grandparents Get Mad at Grandkids

Aside from you, no one loves your kids more than their grandparents. They just can’t get enough of their little blessings – spoiling and doting on them incessantly, right? Well, maybe not so much. At least not 100% of the time. They are human – and retired – after all. They’ve already had their run with raising kids, and as it turns out even grandparents have their limits. Here are 10 common reasons that grandparents get mad at their grandkids:

1. Questioning their authority – There are times when a grandparent’s ideas about discipline will differ from those of the parents. Kids know this, and it can lead to confrontations such as “Mom never makes us do this…”
2. Tantrums – There could be any number of causes for a child to act up, including the fact that you’ve left them in someone else’s care. Whatever the reason, there’s a possibility they won’t be the only one throwing a tantrum; it can send old Grandpa into a cranky mood as well.
3. Taking advantage of them – It’s not unlike the substitute teacher syndrome. Sometimes a child will act out simply because they recognize a breech in their usual chain of command, and spot a weakness or an opportunity to exploit the situation.
4. Unwillingness to go to bed. – Grandparents frequently look forward to the kids’ bedtime hour a lot more excitedly than do the kids themselves. Regardless of whether your little one needs the rest or not, you can bet that your Mom and Dad certainly do.
5. Going AWOL – Older grandkids may not so much incur their wrath, but would almost certainly hurt their feelings, by choosing to go out with friends rather than spending some time with their grandparents.
6. Spending all night playing video games. – Another way to strain relations is when the kid goes off to another room and gets lost in a video game for the rest of the night. It’s good to give the grandparents a break on occasion, but they would like to spend some quality time with the kids.
7. Not saying ‘thank you’. – Grandparents are by and large one of the most generous groups of human beings in the world. They love giving to, and doing things for, their grandkids. It wouldn’t hurt to let them know they’re appreciated.
8. Not wearing that Christmas gift sweater. – OK, so maybe it’s not exactly in vogue. Alright, it’s ugly as sin; but they did go to the effort and expense of buying it for your child. At least dig it up out of moth balls for when they come for a visit. One day of wearing it around the house won’t kill them.
9. Comparing them unfavorably to the other set of grandparents. - Nobody likes to be judged unfairly, or play second fiddle. Regardless of how much your kids may prefer one grandparent over the other, it’s impolite to say so. Even if it’s because of that butt-ugly sweater.
10. Being disrespectful. – The generation gap being what it is, there is always a disconnect between what sort of behavior grandparents deem appropriate and what tends to be the prevailing norm for the present generation. It may take some adjustment from both parties – with the help of the kids’ parents – to reach a happy medium.

Taken From Granny Nannies