You know I wasn’t always a Grandpa. In fact it a fairly recent avocation. I really didn’t know much about what it entails to be a Grandpa. Others who had the “job” before me didn’t give me any tips about the responsibilities or the job description. I guess they wanted me to figure it out for myself. And so I have been on this journey of enlightenment to find out the rules, regulations and responsibilities of being a grandpa.
Here is one thing for sure part of the job description in my view, if you want to be a hit with your grandchild; ….know your music. Not the modern “hip hop” or “rap”music. That will come in time. It has to be the ageless fairytale music that we were probably introduced to when we were toddlers. I can’t tell you how many times I have sung “Itsy Bitsy Spider”, “Seesaw Marjorie Door” (What is a Marjorie Door anyway?) and the most favorite “Puff the Magic Dragon” to my Grandson. Safe to say ten thousand times or more for each song. Because every time I finish one of these songs he makes it very clear that he wants to hear it again. And when he heard Puff the Magic Dragon thru ear phones for the first time in his life, the expression on his face was VISA Card priceless!
By the way if you play an instrument, well that might be the holy grail for bonding with I toddler. I play the guitar rather averagely and his pulling at the strings and banging on the guitar might be one of his favorite things in the world. And what talent he has. At 16 months old I can tell you he might (will) be another Segovia or Jimmy Hendricks.
Yes, there are other aspects to the job of grandpa which I won’t elaborate on right now. Safe to say as the grandchildren get older expose them to all there is about music Take them to Broadway musicals; dance down Main Street USA in Disney World or take in the Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. All Grandmas and Grandpas have to do these things. It is after all a part of the job.
