I Laugh

My own son, my baby, of a long long time ago was a strong willed child.  There was no other word for it.  He was smarter than I was, sadly, because I used to think that I was pretty smart.  I had the advantage because I had more experience and training and I could hold my own with him.  I could talk faster for a while.  We locked horns sometimes.  I eventually won all the important battles.

My grandson is not a strong willed child.  Despite my son's arguments to the contrary, this grandson is largely an easy baby.  He quickly fell into a good sleep schedule.  He can usually be reasoned with and will usually drop demands.  Although he is easy, he has a mind and will of his own which only becomes more and more apparent as he approaches 2 years old.

As grandma I don't feel that it is my job to lock horns and battle with him to the end about certain things.  This is especially true if these are things his parents don't strictly enforce.  I go with the flow.  I don't insist on my way at my house.  I leave the battles to the parents.  I don't let him get away with murder, but I am smart and I can work my way around an easy baby.

This philosophy has been tested since baby sister has arrived and this easy grandson of mine spends three days a week at my house.  He is getting smarter and more experienced and he is trying things that I need to respond to and he is trying to be sneaky sometimes.  This is where I laugh.  I have been through it all with my strong willed child.  While that may have been a long long time ago, I still remember.  Hiding the pacifier for later instead of handing it over isn't going to work with me, kid.  I have his number even if I never used a pacifier with my own baby. I laugh.

I love being a grandma.  All the fun and none of the worry.  A lifetime of experience to draw upon.  I do have a tiny tiny premonition of worry about this baby sister I will eventually watch with her brother.  I haven't done girls until they are on the hoof in school, so to speak.  And this little girl, she may not be a strong willed child, but she is not an easy baby.  I have a feeling she will be coming for me. I laugh.