Irritating grandchildren

So what? If she's still a primary school child, I'd say that's usual behaviour. If, however, she's older than that, it's odd. Enjoy your grandchildren - there are worse things she could be doing than just acting silly.

I used to irritate my grandmother because I would try to do gymnastics in her very small living room. I'd find a space beside the furniture and swing my legs around. Now I can see why that was irritating! She would also constantly tell me to shut the door because there was a force 10 gale coming in. When I was a teenager she told me it was my own fault I had acne because i was always hugging our cat near my face. When I looked in the mirror she said the devil would look back because I was vain. Oh dear, how not to be a good grandma.

harrigran, physical adolescence does start earlier than it used to. I was astonished when my (then) 11-year-old GS answered the phone sounding just like his father. My GD, his sister, also reached puberty early. GS soon overtook me in height and his dad says he is now 6ft - and not the tallest in his Y10 class.

Six of our gc went from lovely babies to feral brats and now are delightful teens, most of the time. Two new babies now so here we go again!!
Do find the silly baby voices irritating but not as bad as when 35 year old neice does it between thumb sucking, not cute at all.

Take them in hand and tell them to behave

Well, my mother always said that her grandchildren (2) were one of life's bonuses! It's a sentiment that I certainly echo, LOUDLY!!!

Just wait till they get older and start to find us irritating.

That's already the case here. Much eye rolling and tutting at times. I pretend I'm too blind and deaf to notice.

As well as starting earlier, they seem to become much taller than in the past. And bigger feet.
One grandson, now 16, is a terrible tease and knows how to wind up his Dad (my eldest). I say, ignore, but he's so easy to wind up!
The same boy is lovely to me though.

Those voices are irritating my oldest grandson does it occasionally,one of granddaughters does head stands and doesn't realise how near her legs are to your head !!! I suppose we irritate them at times

I am not being critical but having spent the last 20 months with my Son in Family Court fighting to see my 3 year old and finally have seen him twice for 2 hours I cannot express the joy and happiness I feel when he sees me and runs up and gives me a hug. Soon he will stay at my son’s so I can’t wait to lie down and read a book with him, take him to his 93 year old great grandmother who he calls Gee Gee??????????

Oh Catherine that's such good news, and I feel so happy for you. Tbh I sometimes think that I am fonder of my grandchildren than I was of my children!! With the two girls, 18 and 15 I find that they gently tease me and explain in simple language, as I'm clearly a poor old soul, why they wear tops that slip down one arm(?!!) why they never dress warmly, and resist Wellington boots in our muddy countryside!!! They're nightmares I understand to their parents but lovely to us (especially me!!) My grandson is as you've gathered a complete joy in every way!! Enjoy your grandson, they're lovely particularly when they're little!

The answer with 10-year-olds is to give them outlets for their energy: eg football or rugby training, tennis lessons, swimming, athletics, Cubs and Scouts and riding their bikes. Unfortunately the i-pads provide alternative activities!
Parents are kept busy providing a taxi service - I remember doing that 40-odd years ago.

Niggly I do know what you mean. I feel as if I can relax and show complete and unconditional love to my grandchildren without the worry and responsibility of being a parent. I would add that I have a very good adult adult relationship with my children now. Without doubt the role of Nanny is the most satisfying and enjoyable one I have ever had.

My eyes are getting wider and wider reading the number of posts describing boys as more boisterous than girls. I have 5 granddaughters aged between 7 and 4. At times they all descend on my house together which is wonderful but incredibly noisy with much shrieking, door banging and crashing. ( when the crashing occurs I dread going to see what's broken now). I love them all more than I can say but the image of little girls sitting quietly colouring or writing stories is not one that I recognise!

Misadventure .Like we females and our monthly 'moods' boys have testosterone which governs there behaviour. Yes, it can have you climbing up the wall and I recall my mothers friend bringing her ten year old grandson to my house Sigh of relief all round when they left.

My 11 year old grandaughter won’t smile for photos, will only hug if she absolutely has to, certainly won’t give Nana a kiss, rolls her eyes if I try and crack a joke....argues when it’s time to get ready for bed, clean her teeth, wash her face, have a shower, put clean underwear on, change her socks, won’t wear anything but baggy trousers and an old Tshirt (she’s a tomboy) eat a proper breakfast etc etc IT WAS SO MUCH EASIER WHEN SHE CAME TO STAY AS A TODDLER!! And I thought toddlers were hard...

A couple of months ago I showed my (newly) 12yr old DGS the You Tube clip of Harry Enfield's Kevin turning into a teenager. We both found it hilarious and every once in a while he imitates the moody Kevin to make me laugh. Lets hope he stays the goofy funny 12yr old he is now and skips the 'Kevin' stage'. I should get so lucky.

I just felt soooooo proud yesterday, I needed to send some some wood over to my gd, normally I would just pop in the car and go but my new knee has stopped me in my tracks. My gs answered the phone and in his deep gruff voice said I will drive over and pick it up. He has just passed his test and bought his first car. Joy. I loved them to bits when they were younger but even more now for their caring attitude

I have a ten year old grandson and I wish he would be a bit more boisterous....as I remember my son and my brothers being! He spends his spare time with his head into books ...Greeks Myths...are the latest thing. Can't get enough of books. My 6 year old granddaughter spends her time punching cushions and rolling around the floor....but then she's OVERTAKEN him at wading already!! All quite 'back to front' . I love em enormously as they're so different . Enjoy your granddaughters frolics...serious stuff will soon take over!

That's 'reading' NOT wading!!! Must get new specs!!!

I remember my eldest granddaughter (now 20) being a delight while her younger sister was a complete nightmare as she never sat down or did anything quietly. At 16 and not living near us she's now very quiet and more likely to be engrossed in her laptop/phone than wanting a conversation with us. My little grandsons live on the other side of the world but were here for 6 weeks and we'd forgotten how boisterous boys are - especially the 2 year old. However by the time they went home they were very used to us and our first FaceTime on Sat was completely different to before they came - they actually took notice of us and had more to say. My SIL's little grandson at 5 is a typical boy and always targets my husband when we see him - I don't know what it is about him (husband) but he seems to have a knack of winding small children up so they hurl themselves at him and jump about on him

Our granddaughter went through the silly voice stage. My husband pulled her up on talking like a baby. She replied "what you need to remember grandad, is that baby in on your side". Point taken!

I wondered what wading was saggi
Girls act more boisterously when in a group, but are quieter than boys when on their own.
Our young DGC allow us to wrap them up warmly but the teenager won’t even contemplate a scarf or gloves.
So I guess we do irritate them.?

Enjoy your GC while you can as you never know what’s going to happen in the future. My 2 oldest ones became estranged from all our side of the family after my DS left their mother, who brain-washed them into how DS had “let them down” because when the marriage ended they had to move out of the 4-bed detached.