Pots of gold at the end of the rainbow! Our precious grandchildren

  • Sep 09, 2017
  • Grandparents unconditional love for grandchildren

    DK Sharma retired as General Manager at Bank Of India and his work kept him busy while his children grew up. Having missed some of the milestones with his own kids, he is determined to enjoy every little moment with his grand-kids. On Grandparents day this year, he reflects on his wonderful relationship with the grandchildren. 

    Everything I have done, is with my four children in mind. I would give all that I have for my children.They have been the joy of my life. Yet, in their growing years, I often had to be strict with them, to instill discipline in them. I was so preoccupied with making sure they got the best education and opportunities, that I often missed out on fun and the lighter side of life with them.

    But now the grandchildren are a whole another story. I have three grandsons and all I have to do is look into their innocent faces and it melts my heart. And they too know how to wrap Nana and Nani around their little fingers.

    Perhaps because I’m older and wiser, I am more carefree with my grandchildren. No longer bogged down by the pressures of work, I am able to enjoy every single moment with them. Emotionally, I am no longer conflicted over whether to join in the fun with the little ones or to make sure they stay within limits. Let their parents set the limits and discipline them. Nana and Nani are here to enjoy their second childhood with the little ones, to have unadulterated fun, to be their friends and co-conspirators in adventures.

    Our first experience of being grandparents was when Aarush arrived in our family in 2007. Nani was witness to his arrival in Boston, US. I had to wait till he was ten months old and came home to us, as I was still working.  By then, he was a real naughty little boy. He would crawl all over the house, climb up and down the stairs, play on the beaches, insist on having ice cream even though it was winter.

    Three years later, our second grandchild and Aarush’s little brother Ishaan was born in New York. To our great joy, their parents decided to move back to India to have the children grow closer to home, closer to their grandparents. Getting to know them better and watching them grow has been an absolute joy, one that I would not trade in for anything in the world. 

    Once, while they were both traveling, we found ourselves babysitting the boys. That’s when we discovered the unique moods of little Ishaan. He had a mind of his own, even at such a young age. Perhaps because he was in new surroundings, he had trouble sleeping. At night, I would hold him close and walk down the corridor to soothe his frayed nerves and it felt wonderful to hold that small bundle of trust and joy. 

    We were blessed with our third grandchild Kabir in 2015. Full of smiles, calm and happy, he filled our days with joy. His mother had the tough task of staying up with him at night, while we were there to play with him in the day. Now, Kabir is with his parents in London – but thanks to technology, Nana and Nani get to talk to him everyday on FaceTime. We can’t wait to cuddle him in December when he will be in India next. 

    Our kids bring us joy; Our grandchildren multiply that joy manifold! You might miss out on your children's childhood because the daily cares weigh on you, but take time to be with your grandchildren and you will find that the weight has been lifted off and you experience boundless joy.  As they say: "Children are the rainbows of our life... the grandchildren are the pots of gold!"

    2 comments

    They teach important lessons and also have fun with the little ones. Here are some interesting and inexpensive ways in which children can spend time with Grandma and Grandpa
    https://www.parentcircle.com/article/7-activities-children-love-to-do-with-their-grandparents/

    Jessica

    Such a lovely post, Nanaji!

    Rahul

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