Welcome.


Hi everyone and welcome to Bristol Grandparents Support Group blog. Although we are Bristol based we have grandparents from all over the UK and beyond as members.

It is estimated that over one million children in the UK are denied contact with their grandparents due to family breakdown which may have been caused by divorce/separation, alcohol/drug dependency,domestic violence,bereavement or family feud.
Every child has the right to have contact with their grandparents
if they wish and unless proven unsafe for them to do so. To deny contact from a parent or grandparent has to become as socially unacceptable as drink driving.
I hope to keep you up to date with what is going on in BGSG and I shall continue to campaign for the rights of children to have a loving and meaningful relationship with both parents and their extended family. So please join in as good to hear your views, not just mine!
I also will support via Skype.
There is no membership fee to be part of Bristol Grandparents Support Group.
Esther Rantzen says, " To every grandparent, links of love can never be broken in our hearts."

Please contact during office hours.
07773258270


Sunday 18 September 2011

What makes perfect grandparents?

If only I had the answer to what makes a perfect grandparent, we would not find ourselves in a denied contact situation.
Of course there are usually two sets of grandparents, who may have completely different views on their role,which can lead to conflict itself.
I have come across grandparents who are jealous of the amount of time the 'other' set spend with the grandchildren, I am fairly sure that within our group the comment would be, if only we had the opportunity of anytime to spend with our grandchildren, it would be amazing.
But it raises an important point, why on earth do we feel jealous,we don't own children as parents or grandparents.
Children are part of us and our family, but do we have a right over them?
As parents we find out quite quickly that our children have their own lives to lead and we just give them a kick start, as grandparents we have to allow our children to bring up their own children in their own way, to make the same mistakes we made and to learn by those mistakes.
You can think your own thoughts but keep them in your head.
Is there a perfect grandparent?
Someone who is there to give support if asked,never to interfere, never criticise,don't undermine the grandchildren's parents . Ok , so we can't all be perfect, actually the truth is no-one is perfect.
I most certainly have made mistakes have spoken out of turn and have paid the ultimate price, of not having had any contact with my granddaughter since 2007.
So for any grandparents who may feel aggrieved that they don't spend enough time with their grandchildren, treasure every precious moment as you never know how things can change.

Jane.


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