Chotapeg: 11 Things That Happen to Your Parents Once You Give Them Grandchildren

chotapeg, a noun: cho-ta-peg

Originally a miniature jug used for individual servings of alcohol, dating from British colonial India at the end of the 19thC. Now an online community for modern grandparents to chat, share stories and tips for looking after their grandchildren. A daily dose of relaxation at the end of your day.

Chotapeg: Social Networking for Modern Grandparents

I recently found out that, on average, 1 in 5 grandmothers provide at least 10 hours of childcare a week, and 1 in 4 working families use grandparents for childcare; which means for a lot of us grandparents are a really essential part of our family life. I’ve teamed up with Chotapeg – a new social networking site for modern grandparents which offers fun ideas, support and light relief for people looking after their grandchildren. Chotapeg is an online community full of activity ideas and grandchildren-friendly days out, plus a space for grandparents to engage with each other and share all their tips and stories.

Obviously we love and appreciate them unconditionally… but I swear, once your parents become grandparents they transform into almost unrecognisable people. Suddenly everything you weren’t allowed to do as a child is a great idea, and they’ll constantly be supplying your children with endless amounts of chocolate and plastic toys and anything else you felt deprived of when you were younger.

Grandparents are often a huge part of a child’s life and provide support, child care, and homemade cakes, so we should (and do) value them. But some of the things they do often range from questionable to a little bit annoying. Here’s 11 things that will definitely happen to your parents as soon as you give them grandchildren.

11 Things That Happen To Your Parents Once You Give Them Grandchildren

  1. They are suddenly totally up for most of the things they never let you do as a child. Trips to Disney World, drum kits and puppies are all things they’d happily give their grandchildren, but it was a different story when you were the one asking!
  2. They seem to forget all the strict rules they imposed a few years ago too. No eating in the living room? Now they are serving gourmet meals to their angel grandchildren straight to the sofa!
  3. They lose the ability to count. Yes, I said he could have ONE biscuit, not five…
  4. They assume they know better (okay – sometimes they do), and start frequently using phrases like “Well it never did you any harm” and “we didn’t do that in my day”, especially when you bring up baby led weaning or any of this “modern parenting rubbish”.
  5. They get wrapped around their grandkid’s little finger instantly. Whatever the little ones want, their wish is their grandparent’s command. (This can actually work in your favour… if there’s something you want always let the kids ask!)
  6. They stop caring about balanced diets. 20 years ago they were forcing you to finish your peas before dessert, nowadays cake is the main course (“just don’t tell Mummy…”)
  7. They start to remember all the awful and embarrassing things you did as a child, and remind you of them every time you moan about parenthood. “Well, if you think that’s bad, what about that time you stuck a piece of chicken up your nose…”
  8. They find energy they’ve never had before. Suddenly their favourite past time is running around outside with the children, and it’s lovely to watch.
  9. Their hearts grow a little bigger. Just when they thought they could never love anyone as much as they do their own children, these amazing grandchildren come along – who they might love even a tiny bit more.
  10. They become a fountain of knowledge. Suddenly you find yourself calling them to ask anything parent related, after all they’ve been there and done that. What temperature should the bath water be? What’s the best cough remedy? Should poo be that colour? And how do you get chewing gum out of hair…?
  11. They become even more incredible than you thought before. A constant source of support and love; a shoulder to cry on and extra hands to rely on. Always at the end of the phone with words of advice, or a story about how they had it way worse with you….

If there are any special grandparents in your life make sure you let them know about Chotapeg and direct them to their Facebook page, which is full of funny grandchildren related stories, craft and activity ideas, recipes and so much more. No grandparents were offended (hopefully) in the making of this post.

*This is a collaborative post*