They say the best thing about being a grandparent is ‘giving them back’. But that’s not true. Ian Martin, grandfather of four, counts the blessings of looking after his children’s kids
Our eldest grandchild just celebrated his birthday and, as ever, that meant a bonus unbirthday gift for me. I’ve been a grandfather for 12 years now and oh, my tottering days, what a laugh it all is.
Cynic Laureate Philip Larkin may have had a point about mums and dads, but let’s be honest, he was clueless about grandparents. The thing is, they don’t fuck you up, your gran and gramps. They do not mean to, and they don’t. It’s easy to fall short as a parent, but almost impossible to be a terrible grandparent. I’ve done both, trust me.
