What new grandparents need to know to be a valued member of the club!

Congratulations and Welcome to the Grandparents’ Club! You have been selected for membership by someone close to you. While this is most likely one of your adult children, there are other paths to membership. Read on to discover what new grandparents need to know about this exciting club.
​

Eligibility

1. You can be granted membership by one of your children. It does not matter if you feel you are too young to be a grandparent. Nor does it matter whether you believe your child is ready for parenthood, wish they had waited until you retire, or don’t understand why they are moving across the country just as you are made a member of the club. Once you are granted membership, you’re in.
2. You can marry a grandparent and have instant access to the Grandparents’ Club. This path may be more difficult, as there are probably already several members in your chapter of the club. Make sure you spend more time watching and listening to get a sense of how you can best take advantage of the privileges of your membership.
3. You can become an honorary member by adopting a nearby family who doesn’t have local grandparents. (Note: this should not be done without their consent.)

No matter what led you to our club, you now have full benefits and privileges as outlined below.
​

Grandparents’ Club Benefits

• As a member of the Grandparents’ Club, your heart, as the Grinch’s did on Christmas day, will grow three sizes on the day your grandchild is born. It will continue to expand with any succeeding grandchildren.
• You can once again experience the world through the eyes of a child, just as you did when you were a parent. This time around, however, you will have the time to enjoy it.
• You will have a new source of hugs, air kisses, funny sayings, art work, and love.
• You will have a new partner for adventures, a fresh audience for family stories, and a repository for the legacy you hope to leave.
• You will likely have a new name which can be emblazoned on mugs, t-shirts and kitschy signs to display by your front door. 

​

Grandparents’ Club Privileges

• You will be allowed to show off pictures of your new grandchild to all friends, coworkers and neighbors as well as your hairdresser, administrative staff at the doctor’s office, and the bartender at your favorite watering hole.
• You can now enter Carter’s, Gymboree and Janie & Jack rather than just window shop. However, caution is advised in all visits, as it is very easy to buy more than a child is physically able to wear during any single stage of growth.
• Other privileges as assigned by the Chapter Leader (see Club Structure, below) may include: baby snuggling, reading stories, outings for ice cream, sleepovers, and visits to the playground, zoo or art museum. 

​

Grandparents' Club Rules
Membership in the Grandparents’ Club is irrevocable; however, you may have any and all privileges stripped at any time by the Chapter Leader. It is key, therefore, to familiarize yourself with these rules and abide by them at all times.

• Never say “We did/didn’t do it that way and you turned out fine” or any variation thereof.
• Never offer unsolicited advice to parents. If you are asked, always offer your advice as an idea that may or not be helpful.
• They may be your monkeys, but it’s not your circus. Never forget that you don’t get to make the rules, but that you must follow them.
• Don’t compete with the other grandparents. Grandparents competing with each other makes life harder for parents. Focus on your own relationship with your grandchild and let any other grandparents focus on theirs.
• Always respect the parents’ decisions about raising their child. If you can’t understand them, ask them to educate you. If you still think they are crazy, look at is as an opportunity to be saintly by not saying anything about it ever again. 

​

Grandparents’ Club Structure
While the Grandparents’ Club is a global group, it is made up of individual chapters comprised of:

1. Chapter Leaders: the leaders of each chapter are the parent or parents of your grandchild. They have ultimate authority and responsibility, and as such, should be respected and appreciated.
2. Chapter Members: members include all grandparents and grandchildren.
3. Affiliate Members: This may include aunts and uncles, nannies and close friends who impact or are impacted by the actions of chapter members.

Make sure you familiarize yourself with all the members of your chapter of the Grandparents’ Club, and take the time to educate yourself about how to be a useful member of the club. See New Member Orientation below.
​

Grandparents’ Club New Member Orientation
New members will be tempted to focus on shopping and picture sharing during the first months of membership. For long-term success, it’s best to augment those activities with some education about their role in this new club. There are several helpful books, but the quickest way to learn what new grandparents need to know is by taking advantage of New Grandparent Essentials, which we developed especially for this purpose. It will ensure you have all the information, strategies, and support you need to be a valued member of your chapter of the New Grandparents’ Club.  Find out more about it here.

(Skipping New Member Orientation can lead to hurt feelings, unexpressed tension, misunderstandings, chapter drama, and in extreme cases, estrangement. Should you wish to avoid these outcomes, it is recommended that you take advantage of the resources offered on this website and in New Grandparent Essentials.)
​

​Welcome again to the greatest club in the world!

​