My grandchildren call me Nana and I love it. I even have a sweatshirt that says, "My grandchildren call me Nana because I'm too cool to be Grandma." In fact, I love being a nana so much that I named my blog, NanaHood. To me, NanaHood is the second half of the motherhood journey. Motherhood was fun but this NanaHood thing is way better. It's all the joy of parenthood without the tractor trailer load of responsibility.
Anyway, it occurred to me that there might be some grandmothers out there who need to up their grandma game so here are some suggestions.
10. Tattoo your grandchild's name on your arm. If you have several grandchildren use both arms. If you aren't crazy about tattoos, use an ink pen for the tats and wash your arms off after your grandchildren visit.
9. Feed your grandchildren as much candy and as many soft drinks as they want, but make sure you only do this when they are not spending the night with you. Practice acting innocent so you will be believable when the parents come to pick up the children and they are bouncing off the walls.
8. Buy a motorcycle. What could be more cool than a grandmother who rides a Harley? If you can't actually ride a motorcycle that's okay. Have your picture made on one and send them a framed copy so they can brag to their friends about their Harley riding nana.
7. Take them shopping for school clothes and let them pick out what they think is cool, not what you think is appropriate. They will love you for it even if they don't get to wear it when mom sees it.
6. If they are spending the week with you and don't want to take a bath or brush their teeth, don't make them. You fought that battle with your children. You shouldn't have to do it again.
5. Take them to an animal shelter and buy them a pet to take home to mom and dad. Send at least one bag of pet food home with them to keep them from killing you immediately.
4. Get concert tickets for their favorite rock group and tell them they can take a friend. Then buy yourself a good set of ear plugs and go with them.
3. For summertime entertainment, have a food fight out on the deck. When you are done use the water hose to spray everyone off. Remind grandchildren not to try this at home. Parents are not nearly as cool as nana.
2. Use photo shop to make a picture of yourself with your grandchild's favorite sports star. They'll think it's really cool that nana once shot hoops with Lebron James.
And the number one way to prove you are a cool nana...
1. Take everyone to Disney World for a week and put it all on your charge card. The grandchildren will be out of college by the time you pay it off, but hey, those memories last a life time (and so do the bills).
These 10 suggestions for coolness are, of course, in jest. Being cool is like beauty, it's in the eyes of the beholder. My grandmother did none of the 10 things I mentioned and I thought she was cool because I loved her to the moon and back and she loved me even more.
And when it comes right down to it, that's a whole lot more important than being cool.
Earlier on Huff/Post50:
