Boomer Grandma Shares The 8 Traits That 'Define' Her Generation Of Grandparenting — 'Love You To Bits, But This Is My Time'
You can’t blame her for setting expectations.
Milan Ilic Photographer / Shutterstock Grandparents are the light of our lives, right? They spoil us with love, gifts, food and even take our kids when we need a much-needed vacation.
Well, that’s really the depiction of grandparents most people are holding onto. The reality is that grandparents are people, too. They do a lot more than just babysit, cook, and think about their adult kids.
It’s exactly the sentiment that @pinkynel expressed in a recent TikTok on her page. This proud boomer grandma listed the eight traits that define her generation of granparenting.
According to a boomer grandma, there are 8 traits that ‘define’ her generation of grandparenting:
1. Boomer grandparents adopt unique names like ‘Gigi’ or ‘Mimsy’ for their grandkids to call them.
While the chosen names of grandparents seem to be more controversial than expected on the internet, in reality, many families are opting in. Unlike the two syllables of the traditional titles, these shortened versions can be more effectively screamed out by toddlers and this TikTok grandma is all about it.
2. Grandkids are welcome companions for all boomer grandparent activities.
Staying active is important and for boomers, sports like pickleball are the perfect way to get out and move. Like many older generations, routines are critical, and this TikTok grandma refuses to let her grandchildren get in the way of hers.
Photo: LPETTET / Canva Pro
“If your kids are gonna hang out with me,” she said about her sporty routine, “they’re gonna have to do the same thing.”
3. Boomer grandparents are always conscious of their grandchildren’s weight, in addition to their own.
This grandma admitted she constantly thinks about her weight and that translated to her grandchild’s weight as well. Instead of admitting the obsession was unhealthy, she simply explained it as a “boomer trait.”
4. They have tons of advice to give like letting your baby ‘cry it out’.
This grandma argued that an important part of raising kids is getting input from grandparents.
Sharing parenting advice, sometimes antiquated advice is a trait of many boomer grandparents. They did it first, so they think they know best, and they're going to remind you of it.
5. They're going to post pictures of their grandchildren on Facebook.
“I’m going to post photos of your kids on Facebook — even when I wasn’t there when they were taken,” the grandma admitted, “likely because I wasn’t invited.”
Nonetheless, she shamelessly admitted to this social media secret, adding that she might not have been there, but surely “[her] friends don’t know that”.
6. They’re going to change your children's clothes because they should ‘only wear pink and blue’.
Traditional as ever, this grandma joked that children shouldn't wear “olive green, dusty khaki, rose, and mustard yellow.” Equipped with extra pink and blue clothing for her grandkids, she admitted to changing their clothes when they were around.
7. Boomer grandparents won’t be changing any dirty diapers because they’ve ‘been there, done that’.
Some grandparents refuse to change their grandchildren’s dirty diapers and while some parents accept those boundaries, others on TikTok have more questionable methods for escaping the chore.
For this grandma, any diapers with “Number 2” are being turned over to their parents. She’s “been there and done that” enough with her own kids.
8. They hope you won’t need them to babysit.
It’s becoming increasingly more common for people to rely on their grandparents for childcare. However, boomers aren’t willing to accept that duty all the time. In fact, one trait boomers share, according to this grandma, is their ability to set expectations for their kids when watching grandchildren.
“I’ll offer to babysit … but I really hope you don’t take me up on it,” she started, “but if you do, it’s gotta be at my house. The kids have to be healthy, and you need to be home by 8:30 p.m.”
While she stressed they “love you to bits,” this grandma emphasized these years are theirs to enjoy because they’re more than just grandparents, they’re people, too.
Whatever boundaries, no matter how seemingly absurd they may seem, it’s not because they hate you or your kids. They want to enjoy their child-free life for as long as they can and it’s important to accept and love them regardless!
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a news and entertainment writer at YourTango focusing on pop culture and human interest stories.