Glamparenting: the New Grandparenting?
Could it be that as baby boomers we really feel as though we’re too lively, too amazing, too posh to be called "Grandma"? Does the word "Grandma" signify an old individual, perhaps even decrepit? Recently I was at a youngsters's book shop and also discovered that nearly every grandparent book showed grandma with white hair and also many creases, and bent over grandfather wearing glasses, looking entirely ancient. Look on the internet and see the "old" grandparent photos there. It's no wonder so many of us do not want to be called Grandma when we see these pictures. There's a preconception associated to the name.
However, let's re-think this for a moment. It’s an honor to be a grandparent. It is a joy that no one can understand till it happens to them. Aren't we as old as we really feel? Today's g-parents think about themselves as young, they act young, and they look more youthful than the grandparents of generations earlier. It doesn’t mean that we need to not like being called Grandma. The hot new name seems to be GlamMa. The Urban Dictionary states, "If 60 is the new 40, then GlamMa is the brand-new Grandma, a woman with a sense of self and design." GlamMother is "the new generation of grandmothers, who are stylish in the way they live and clothe themselves. These women don’t fit the regular cardigan-wearing, permed hair granny stereotype, they are extravagant."
When you search for grandparent names, there's an abundance of different special nicknames. Select one you like as if you don't want to be called Grandma. As I consider my own granny, my heart fills with pleasure. We called her "Bubbles" as well as "Gaga". She was absolutely terrific and the very best cook ever. (Boy, do I want I 'd paid a lot more attention to her food preparation secrets.) I would certainly not have thought any differently of her, if we had actually called her Grandma. I liked her no matter what.
Really, the name is the least crucial aspect here. Bottom line: being grandmother is a present, something to be CELEBRATED. It doesn't matter whether we are Nana, or Mimi, or Grammy, or GlamMa. What matters is that we love our grandkids and they love us. Aren't there bigger problems to handle?












