LilSugar

Are Younger Grandmas More Fun?

LilSugar — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 07:00:27 -0800

At 44, Sarah Palin just became a very young grandma with the birth of her daughter, Bristol's son, Tripp on Sunday. Some women can't wait for grandbabies while others prefer to hold off on getting the title. Do you believe age is just a number? Or are young grannies more fun and easy to relate to since there's less of a generation gap?

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The Gifted Grandmother: Grandma-To-Be

LilSugar — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:00:43 -0800

Her baby's having a baby and she's having a ball. A grandma-to-be bursts with excitement while she awaits her first grandchild and can't stop herself from going on countless shopping sprees at Babies R Us. Turn the tables and shower her with a few gifts for the holidays.

It's true, "When a child is born, so is a grandmother." Fill this quotable frame with an ultrasound picture to melt her heart.
Grandmama is consumed with buying gifts for the new baby, but a Jo Malone candle will warm her up. The limited-edition scent creates a festive house as she prepares for family gatherings.
Grammy's going to want photographs of the lil one all over her house, and the Polaroid PoGo Portable Photo Printer allows her to print pictures from her phone or camera at the touch of a button.

The Gifted Grandparent: Grandma

LilSugar — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 05:00:43 -0800

Grandmothers must have the toughest job buying holiday gifts for their own children and their spouses, grandchildren, great grandchildren and others. Don't let her get swept under the rug with another pair of raggedy old slippers. Show her some love with one of these thoughtful gifts.

Nothing says lovin' like cooking with Grams. And chances are, nobody cooks better than her, either. Create memories in the kitchen (and grab a few tips) using the festive gingerbread man tray and enjoy yourselves as you decorate the lil brown fellas.
I never met a grandma who didn't have a stash of candy around her house somewhere. Lure her tasty treats onto the pretty silver platter and out of that old outdated crystal dish.
I'm sure your Granny knows who the Queen Bee of the family is, but just in case she needs reminding, the gold charm bracelet with the tiara charm will let her know how much she is celebrated and regaled in her family ranks.

Grandma Takes Three–Year–Old for a Joy Ride

babysugar — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 06:00:17 -0700

Next to my husband, the people I trust most with my daughter are her grandmothers. Each one cares for her as if she were their own. I know they won't put her in precarious situations that would warrant child abuse charges. One 54–year–old Florida granny made headlines as she put her three–year–old granddaughter on the roof of her car and drove around a Publix parking lot. Claiming she would never hurt her child, the grandma said she drove at a snail's pace and held onto the child's leg!

If she were my mother, I'd have serious doubts about ever leaving my child with her again. But this has become a legal matter as she was charged with child abuse. It sounds like the granny was looking for a good time, but I can think of a thousand other ways to entertain a tot.

What would you do if your mother did this with your child?
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Would You Be a Surrogate for Your Child?

babysugar — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 05:00:34 -0700

There are few loves stronger, if any, than that of a mother's for her child. For 52–year–old Crystal Sirignano, a mother's love meant carrying surrogate twins for her fertility challenged daughter and son–in–law. After watching them struggle to conceive, the grandmother carried her own grandson and granddaughter to term, fulfilling her own child's greatest dreams.

The proud grandma told The Flint Journal:

I just feel so blessed and fortunate. It's the best experience of my life. . . I don't regret one second, even the times when I didn't feel good. None of that was as bad as watching what my daughter went through.

Would you offer your womb for your child's offspring?
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Family Ties: Grandmas Rule

babysugar — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 06:00:20 -0700

I've told you what a sweet mother–in–law I am blessed to have. But, I've neglected to share stories of my own mama.

Simply put - she is the bomb. Whatever positive adjective you can think of, she embodies it. To see why my ma rocks, read more.

On any given day, "Reeney," as she is known, is the perfect mother, grandmother, daughter, sister and wife. She is currently playing "Super Mom" at my house as my nanny went to her homeland for three weeks, leaving me with a daycare dilemma. My mother stepped up to the plate and left her life 1,500 miles behind so she could help take care of my child.

Giving up her own routine, surroundings, and family back home, she is tending to mine like royalty. Every night when we come home, she has dinner prepared and clothes folded on the bed. A pediatric nurse by training, she arrived just as my wee one came down with a four–day fever. I felt better leaving my tot with her than if I had stayed myself.

While on the topic, I should also give props to grandma. Reeney's mother "Mimi" is "la reyna" (the queen) of my family. She says whatever she wants, to whomever she wants, however she wants. And while it doesn't often score her brownie points, we all love her for her spunk. She has more love in her old partially artificial heart than we could ever dream.

My sister and I regularly gush about how lucky we are to be descendants of the selfless Reeney. We'd be pleased to evolve into any sort of reflection of her.

Lil Links: Sam Mendes and Kate Winslet Split

LilSugar — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 13:15:07 -0700

Kate Winslet and Sam Mendes split - Celebrity Baby Scoop
Julianne Moore says her career doesn't connect with her kids - Celebrity Baby Blog
Kate Gosselin is dancing to support her kids - ParentDish
Dealing with grandma syndrome - CafeMom
Safety tip: put your car keys next to your bed at night - Modern Mom
What's an appropriate consequence for biting? - Parents Ask
The fertility diet - FitPregnancy
Debating the second baby shower - Alpha Mom
11 ways to help bed wetters - Health

Family Ties: Guiltless and Gritty Grandmas

babysugar — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 05:00:13 -0700

Grandmas play different roles in every child's life. One of my grandmothers is the spoiling type. Every time we walk in her front door, the house oozes of muffin batter, cookies and jars of candy. She still won't let visitors escape without eating something terribly indulgent. She may have been a ghostwriter for the grandmother's guidebook: 101 Ways to Spoil Your Grandchildren. My other grammy was the yin to her yang. All she cared about was our education and teaching us the value of a dollar. Baking and coloring took a back seat to earning straight A's and learning the stock market.

I am starting to get a sense of the types of grandma my mom and mother-in-law will be to our wee ones. What kind of grandmothers do you have?
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Malia and Sasha Obama Have Lax Rules at Grandma's House

LilSugar — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 06:00:54 -0800

The first daughters aren't much different than most kids. They have one set of rules at home with their parents and another when they are visiting grandma. Michelle Obama's mama, Marian Robinson, 72, who looked after her grandchildren while President Barack Obama and his wife were on the campaign trail, said she abides by their rules in their house. The famous granny said:

"I follow the rules at Michelle's house. At my house, they're my rules. (Laughs.) I know Michelle is strict ... When I'm at their house, the girls are doing all the stuff their mother has told them to do, there's not much left for me to do! But when they're at my house, they don't have to scrape the dishes – and they get to watch TV."

Contrary to all the talk, Marian also noted that she wouldn't be talking up permanent residence in the White House. Do your children enjoy more lax rules when they are with their grandparents?
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Grandma Tries to Breastfeed Grandson

babysugar — Fri, 30 May 2008 07:00:36 -0700

A close friend of mine just returned from a trip to Italy with her five-month-old son, husband and his family. All was well under the Tuscan sun until the last day of their vacation when her mother-in-law asked to hold the baby while they were out by the pool.

My friend obliged, but was shocked when she turned to check on them moments later. The granny had one boob out and was attempting to nurse her grandson. She chuckled and said, "Oh that one's not working. Let's try this one!" before switching the infant to the other breast where he suckled her nipple.

To find out how my friend handled the bizarre situation, read more.

Dumbfounded, my friend laughed and snapped a picture with her phone. In disbelief, she asked her husband if he could believe what his mother was doing when he walked outside. He was equally stunned and speechless.

When my friends told the grandfather (husband to the nursing grandma) about his wife's actions, he shrugged it off at first. But then confronted his wife saying, "Honey, did you really try to breastfeed the Bambino?" Abashedly she replied, "I'm not going to talk about it anymore! All I will say is that it was a good bonding experience for both of us!"

There aren't enough words to describe how I would feel if this happened to me. But these emotions come to mind - shock, disgust, anger, betrayal and confusion. I would be most concerned with my son having nipple confusion - what if he had rejected the mother's breast after having been introduced to another woman's bosoms? I'd also be disturbed by my mother–in–law's decision to try to breastfeed him. Obviously she was incapable of producing milk on a first time basis, but engaging in the act itself seems odd.

Does this story leave you feeling disturbed as well?
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