Mom Slams Some Boomer Grandparents for Their Attitude with Grandkids

A mother on TikTok used the platform to share her views on how some people treated their children and grandchildren. She received mixed reactions to her video, with some people sharing their worst stories and others their best.

Rachel is a creator on TikTok who often shares her thoughts on parenting, grandparents, and other familial topics. She has discussed things that she does that some may find controversial and has also been open about her children's relationships with their grandparents.

This time, she spoke from experience about a grandparent-grandchild dynamic that she disagreed with. She knew it would draw much attention; her caption on the TikTok post alluded to this.

Rachel shared: "You are a grandparent, so you do play a role in your grandchildren's lives if you want to be a part of them... You do play a part in raising them." Although she agreed that grandparents should not be taken advantage of, she said they were instrumental in a child's upbringing. She shared her views on how grandparents should behave.

What Were Rachel's Thoughts on Grandparents?

Rachel began her video by saying she loved talking about how many grandparents in a particular generation believed they didn't need to babysit their grandchildren and that some even thought they should be paid.

She then clarified that it was not the people who wanted to play a role in their grandchildren's lives that she was referring to, but rather those grandparents who put in no effort with their grandchildren and then complained.

Rachel explained that grandparents consistently posted on Facebook about how much they missed their grandchildren but would never visit them and expected their grandchildren to always come to them.

The creator also mentioned that it was ridiculous that grandparents could consider themselves good grandparents when they only saw their grandchildren four times a year and expected the children to drive to them each time.

Rachel explained that she thought it was a grandparent's responsibility to watch their grandchildren just as much as a parent's responsibility to raise the child. She then shared her dynamic with her parents-in-law.

What Is Rachel's Dynamic with Her Parents-In-Law?

After explaining her thoughts on grandchildren, Rachel said that if a person chose to be part of their grandchild's life, it needed to be beneficial for both the grandparent and the grandchildren.

She clarified that she was not talking about children who take advantage of their parents by leaving their children with them every time they go out, but rather those who have a constructive relationship.

Rachel shared her relationship with her in-laws, saying that every Monday she and her husband attended therapy, her parents-in-law would watch the kids, feed them dinner, and put them to bed.

She said it helped her to know that her parents-in-law would help their son whenever he needed it. Rachel also said they did so in a way that benefitted everyone, as her parents-in-law didn't feel taken advantage of, and she and her husband didn't think that her parents-in-law were overstepping their boundaries. She then quipped:

"And if you feel offended by anything I'm saying, it's because the call is coming from inside the house."

She indicated that those who took offense to what she said were only offended because they knew that they were acting in the unsavory way she was describing in her video.

Rachel received mixed reactions to her video; some said they knew exactly what she was talking about and had experienced it. Others found it funny that their parents were unwilling to care for their grandchildren when they expected their parents to raise their children.

One person said their mother told them she had raised them when they had spent more time with their grandmother. Another said their parents would drop them off at their grandparents for an entire summer even though they lived in the same town.

Another person shared a different side, saying they had moved states because their father had expressed excitement at becoming a grandfather. Still, when they moved, he decided he was no longer excited and never called or asked to see the child.

Some people shared positive experiences, like the person who said their parents lived out of state and bought toys, car seats, and other necessities so they could see their grandchild as often as possible. Another woman said she was lucky as her mom had stayed at her house for weeks after she gave birth to twins to help her.

One woman said she loved babysitting her grandchildren and always did it. She said she even did so in their home. She then admitted that she was not perfect but remembered how it was to be a parent.

Some Reader Comments

While some are not very interested in their grandchildren, others would do anything for them, like these grandparents who were hard on their son for how he treated his daughter.