Nurturing

Today is National Grandma's Day! Well, technically, in Poland, but I'm in a mood, so let's spread the love to the United States today! Yes, time to pay tribute to the person you could often run to when your parents gave you a hard time! You could do no wrong in grandma's eyes, and she was probably right! However, some grandmas out there could (and continue to be) stricter than parents. You know the type; disciplinarians who practiced tough love and would put you to work with a list of chores when you came to visit. There's even the case of grandmas who raised their grandchildren, which is more common than not. For others, it's possible they didn't see their grandmas as often growing up but still have fond memories of them either through birthday cards or phone calls. Thankfully with today's technology, kids and adults alike can also Facetime with their grandmothers. Whatever the case may be for you, and if you're feeling the love today, give your grandma a call, shoot her a text, or give her a shout-out on social media.

Most parents have the instinct to be nurturers from the get-go. Some parents coddle and dote over their offspring like there's no tomorrow, while others have a "tough love" approach to parenting. Either way, parents at some point (cross your fingers) earn kudos from family and friends for raising "good kids". In a sense, spoiled but structured children with insight into the world around them. Now, I wouldn't know anything about the "spoiled" part growing up (do you believe that for a minute?), but I do know that a distinct dynamic exists in homes with multiple kids. Come on, we all know it's true; parents treat each child differently in one way or another, even if it's minute. I admit I was less lenient with my eldest than I was with my other kiddos. Plus, the fact that they didn't know what the word "grounded" meant until someone told them at school was a sure sign that they got their way quite often as kids.