How To Show Your Adult Child You Want To Be A Good Grandparent

The best thing you can do for your grandchild is to have a healthy, stable, and respectful relationship with their parent. Here are some ways to show your adult child you want to be a good grandparent.

• Foster a healthy relationship with your adult child in the present. Continue to show interest in them and their life. Do not solely focus on their child.
• Make amends for anything in the past. It is not enough to just be a good grandparent to your grandchild. You need to show your adult child that, if change is needed, you acknowledge what went wrong in your relationship and would like to repair it with them.
• Treat your adult child with respect in front of your grandchild. This includes supporting them, speaking respectfully, respecting their boundaries, and trying to collaborate.
• Do not speak negatively about your adult child to your grandchild. This is confusing for them and will force them to take sides. Your adult child will inevitably hear what you said about them, which will hurt.
• Make an effort to understand and implement their parenting style. Your adult child wants you to be a teammate, and this includes getting to know how they are parenting their child and why it is important to them.
• Transition into the role of advisor instead of authority figure. If you are a steady, reliable leader, your adult child will come to you when they struggle with parenting and need advice. You will not need to lecture them or offer unsolicited advice.