They never call, they always cancel: why are my kids' grandparents so crap?

"It's because they are boomers. They are lazy as f*ck. They benefited from their parents helping them with their kids and they aren't doing the same for their own kids."

It's a given that it takes a village to raise a child, and most of us assume that village will include grandparents in some form.

And for the lucky ones, it does.

But for many others, they might not have everyone present, and we don't mean physically or even geographically.

We mean by choice. 

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"Grandparents just aren't it anymore"

One mum shared her disappointment in her children's grandparents this week, posting online, "Why are grandparents not grandparents anymore?"

She wrote, "I'm struggling with this because I feel like grandparents just aren't it anymore.

"They never call to come see the kids. They never want to spend time with them. Am I the only one that feels like this?

"I feel like my issue is that they say they will watch/see them and when the day comes, it's an excuse to get out of it. If your kids have awesome grandparents, you're blessed."

Image: iStock

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"This generation of grandparents is more selfish"

The comments section of the post was filled with hundreds of posts that agreed with the mum, demonstrating this to be an issue for many.

"I think this generation of grandparents are more selfish and individualistic," one wrote.

"My mum always whines about how she doesn't get to see her grandbabies as much as she wants to and claims it's because I live in an hour away. They only want to help or see the kids if it fits perfectly within their schedule and if they feel like it."

Another shared, "My mum and MIL are always dying to have more grandkids, but they do like zero child help. I remember going to my grandparents for a month every summer… if I suggested that to my mother, she'd laugh.

"I think it's a combo that they are older than my grandparents were, and they also have a different mentality of 'live their best life' kind of thing where they have so many social doings that they schedule no time for their family."

It seems many feel the distance, with this mum writing, "We moved to be close to my husband's family and we never see them. My mum has met my two-year-old once because she was passing through town. I am going to be obnoxiously helpful if I ever get the pleasure of being a grandma!"

There were also some who chose not to take it personally. As one wrote, "We're older. Our parents are older. Mine are both still working. Family dynamics just aren't what they used to be. It makes raising children very lonely and isolating."

Finally, there was this resentful comment: "It's because they are boomers. They are lazy as f*ck. They benefited from their parents helping them with their kids and they aren't doing the same for their own kids."

Originally published as They never call, they always cancel: why are my kids' grandparents so crap?