Parents enjoy watching their own children grow up, but because parenthood is often hectic, they cannot sit off and watch their children's growth in a peaceful, unhurried sort of way. Grandchildren can let grandparents live their own lives. Older people like to do things in their own ways just as younger people like to do things in their ways. They have spend years developing habits and preferences. They like to do the same things in the same ways even if they seem old-fashioned to the grandchildren.
Grandparents play an important role in a family.
A sense of continuity as a family, a tie with the past, ongoing affection, personal interest and help in a crisis make grandparents invaluable. With the birth of children, grandparents come into their own, and can greatly enrich the lives of the children as well as parents. We are not always smart about these widening relationships. All of us, grandparents, parents and children, have much to learn about valuing these important relationships. There are many joys of grandparenting.