When our own children were young, we made the decisions. We decided what they ate, when they went to bed, how much television they watched, when they were old enough to walk to school alone and how firmly they should be told no.
Then those children grow up and have children of their own. Suddenly, some grandparents discover that decades of parenting experience don’t count for much. They may be loved, valued and wanted in their grandchildren’s lives, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re trusted to look after them.
Sometimes the disagreement is over something as trivial as having an ice cream. But the consequences of these disagreements can be devastating.
Tom, 67, was looking after his twin grandchildren when they became unwell. They had high temperatures and one developed a rash. He tried repeatedly to contact their mother but couldn’t reach her. He had a decision to make: wait, or get the children checked? Tom took them to hospital.
Shorts
