A step-grandparent can be the step-parent of the parent or the step-parent's parent or the step-parent's step-parent (though technically this might be called a step-step-grandparent). The various words for grandparents at times may also be used to refer to any elderly person, especially the terms gramps, granny, grandfather, granddad, grandmother, nan, maw-maw, paw-paw (and others which families make up themselves). The idea of how to parent has changed a lot in recent years, which can create some generational disconnect. Parents today are expected to actively cultivate children and maintain a hyper-focus on helping them reach their potential, whereas parents in the past generally were more laissez-faire and might have spent less time with their kids when they were growing up.

If your baby is 'beautiful and perfect, never cries or fusses, sleeps on schedule and burps on demand, an angel all the time,' you're the grandma." — Teresa BloomingdaleI am Oma,” said Kathleen Carroll of Millsboro, Del. “It means grandma in German, and I am part German. My husband is plain ol’ Poppop. He didn't want to be called Umpa, can't understand why!” Her grandmother, as she gets older, is not fading but rather becoming more concentrated." — Paulette Bates Alden

You make all your mistakes with your own children so by the time your grandchildren arrive, you know how to get it right. Plus, once you turn fifty, you kind of stop giving a shit what others think." — Liz Fenton, The year We Turned Forty If I had known how wonderful it would be to have grandchildren, I'd have had them first." — Lois Wyse Custodial grandparents: Grandparents who raise their grandchildren without the presence of the grandchildren's parents in the household. This type of involvement is especially common among ethnic minority groups. [20] For instance, approximately 50% of custodial grandparents in the USA belong to an ethnic minority group. [21] In general, grandparents adopt the primary caregiving role for various reasons, such as when the parents have died, been imprisoned, been deployed by the military, or lost custody of their children due to neglect or abuse. [18] [19] Nobody can do for little children what grandparents do. Grandparents sort of sprinkle stardust over the lives of little children.” — Alex Haley The parents of a grandparent, or the grandparents of a parent, are called the same names as grandparents (grandfather/-mother, grandpa/-ma, granddad/-ma, etc.) with the prefix great- added, with an additional great- added for each additional generation. One's great-grandparent's parents would be "great-great-grandparents".Grandma always made you feel she had been waiting to see just you all day and now the day was complete.” — Marcy DeMaree On the other hand, I’m relieved that they didn’t. I can’t imagine having to face the embarrassment and the humiliation. More importantly, I also can’t imagine handling the rejection if they all knew but still did nothing about it. Or worse still, didn’t believe me.

Being grandparents sufficiently removes us from the responsibilities so that we can be friends." — Allan Frome No one who has not known that inestimable privilege can possibly realize what good fortune it is to grow up in a home where there are grandparents." — Suzanne La Follette

It is as grandmothers that our mothers come into the fullness of their grace." — Christopher Morley Major study finds 10 lifestyle choices that lower the risk of ALL cancers (but the bad news one of them is quitting alcohol) Other studies of grandparents around the world have noted their positive influence on children. A survey of 13- and 14-year-olds in New South Wales published in November showed that close relationships with grandparents increase the likelihood that kids will be engaged in civic matters, such as helping other people and the environment.