It’s mid-afternoon and you are in the mall trying to get the weekly essentials that you just can’t order online, such as your husband’s specific sports shoelaces, new socks for your toddler (you’ve scoured the house but seem to own zero matching pairs), flowers for your BFF’s birthday and your favourite coffee beans to get you through the week.

Grandma is also in tow, and your patience is withering…

Grandmother and mother smiling at baby in autumn park.

Grandma:

• “My dear, I really do think (insert child’s name) is hungry. Let’s stop for a snack.”
• “I’ll get us some water. We need to stay hydrated.”
• “You really should be focusing on their height. These trousers are too short.”
• “I think I’ll rebook my flight. It seems like you need my help to manage.”

The constant stream of support, guidance and useful information from Grandma is in full flow.

Our ears just can’t seem to absorb the positives, and we just can’t seem to find the information helpful.

Alas, here’s where we need to stop and take a moment to think.

Grandma is in absolute bliss when spending time with her child and her grandchild. She has spent several decades raising you and your siblings and has experienced the good, the bad and the strange in her lifetime.

Her care and compassion for nutrition and wellbeing are her intrinsic motivations. She loves you and wants you to be content and cared for.

It’s often very difficult to be objective when your own parent steps in and offers advice. This wisdom, however, is incredibly valuable and driven purely by the heart.

Our parents have lived through many of these moments before and have many more years of life experience.

Simply put: they’ve lived longer and experienced more than you have.

In every industry, we champion experience, from CVs to professional titles. The more years we have spent doing the things we are passionate about, the more capable we become.

In an age where Google can present the answers to almost anything within a few short milliseconds, it’s easy to rely on it too much for the questions we want answered, especially when it comes to childcare.

But nothing will ever beat the wise words of your own mother and the experiences she went through while raising you.

Those experiences are priceless, and nothing Google can say will ever come close.

Cherish Grandma, as she cherishes you and yours, and take heed of her wisdom and experience.

Click here to book a Nursery tour.

Mrs Laura Partanen
Nursery Manager
Jumeirah International Nurseries, Palm Jumeirah