Top Ten Signs you’re a Grandma

Post date: Dec 12, 2016 7:00:11 PM

Top Ten Signs you’re a Grandma--Plus Five More Signs for the Holidays

Last week I woke up and realized that I had the jingle for the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse cartoon stuck in my brain ("It’s the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse! Come inside--it’s fun inside"). I realized that there are probably a lot of young parents, daycare workers, and babysitters who know that tune, but many grandmas as well! That got me to thinking again about the Top Ten Signs you’re a Grandma (or grandparent).

1. You stock your kitchen with applesauce cups, mac and cheese, chicken nuggets, fruit snacks, and lots of milk.
2. You have a toybox (or two) tucked away in the guest room: you sometimes slip and call the guest room the “boys’ room.”
3. Your guest bathroom has children’s toothbrushes and kiddie toothpaste, hooded towels, Mr. Bubbles, and bath toys.
4. You have a bookshelf filled with children’s books including Dr. Seuss, Baby Einstein, Curious George, and other childhood favorites. Another basket nearby holds a collection of DVDs.
5. Your kitchen has a shelf filled with sippy cups, regular plastic cups, and special plates and bowls.
6. You act as cheerleader, encouraging kids to reach for the next stage—whether crawling to walking or learning to read.
7. You’ve stocked up on crayons and color books, playdoh, Legos, stuffed animals, and have an iPad loaded with games and educational apps.
8. You’re an expert at kissing "boo boos", whipping out a cute band-aid, or getting a cool wet washcloth to comfort your grandchild (a wet washcloth was my mother’s favorite first aid device—is the child feeling hot? Fell down? Have a headache? Grab the washcloth.) You also have a variety of children’s medicines in that guest bathroom, along with an eye dropper to measure the dose.
9. You’ve borrowed or purchased high chairs, kiddie sized chairs, small cribs or "pack and plays," and have a collection of blankets and pillows that your other guests will never get to use.
10. You watch children’s cartoons with your grandchildren and start to like them—leading to getting that Mickey Mouse tune stuck in your head!

And at the Holidays, I would add—

11. You look forward to the ritual of making Christmas cookies with your grandchildren, using the recipes handed down from your own mother and grandmother.

12. You look for simple hands-on crafts to decorate the house; we found some little cardboard gingerbread houses and stickers at Target and had fun decorating them. You make sure that at least some of your decorations are kid-proof and able to be handled. I found a little Charlie Brown nativity set made from plastic with a cardboard stage: the boys love to handle the pieces and tell stories.

13. You enjoy watching Children’s holiday specials with them: the Charlie Brown Christmas show is probably my favorite. Seeing the holidays through their eyes renews the sense of joy we all felt as children.

14. You take them Christmas shopping to find something special for their parents or have them help you shop for toys to give to the Toys for Tots program.

15. You look for something special to do, like taking the Snowflake Express train ride that features a short train ride and a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus. With the conductor dressed up in his black uniform and cap, and several young women dressed up as elves, it was a festive and fun experience that seemed straight out of the movie The Polar Express. We sang some Christmas songs and looked out the windows—we didn't have any snow yet, but we did see some wooded areas once outside of town.

Last Updated December 12, 2016