Humouring Granny.

It was quite the nicest couple of weeks I have had in ages. Little people have been noticeably lacking in our lives for several years and here I had 5 little people surrounding me for many days. I was going to make the most of this treasured time !! - I use the term 'Little People' affectionately as all of them were taller than I.

Sadly Zimbabwean Grannies and Aunties do not have their grandchildren, nieces and nephews with them often, as our own children have made their own lives in far flung lands. Maybe I have just not kept up with modern trends as I found to my chagrin.

Self-appointed Grannies after all have duties don't they? They must be the harbingers of all good things that their parents don't have time for, is that not correct. I would have these beautiful, bright little people under my total control and show them all the wonderful things that my Granny used to show me!!

Things like knitting and sewing for the girls, things like woodwork and board games for boys. I still had my little stack of Hardy Boys and Just William books for the boy and my stack of Nancy Drew and Little Women books for the girls.

Well I have to tell you that I should probably have had my grandchildren a whole lot earlier as these bright young things looked at me in horror when I proffered these little treasures that had seen me through my youth !!

Instead of Nancy Drew they wanted to read the Twilight Saga and when I tentatively offered to show them my old series of 'Bonanza' they humoured me for all of five minutes and then chose to watch ''Hunger Games' !!!

Not one to give up easily - I struggled on valiantly in my Grandmotherly direction. After all, am I correct in saying that the traditional role of grannies has always been to spoil their grandchildren rotten and leave discipline to the parents?

And how much are grannies expected to do? Just plonk the little people in front of the telly or computer to keep them quiet? Or undertake daily - and tiring - adventures to the museum, the trampoline and the swimming pool?

Of course Granny knows best. Did she not after all bring up her own offspring most successfully, and in much harder times? But times have changed, opinions have changed too, and the modern grandparents it would appear, may just have to swallow their opinions just as I had to swallow mine.

Grandmas are the most affectionate individuals on earth are they not? Every grandson and granddaughter will agree that being in Grandmas company is such a beautiful feeling.

Grannies go out of their way to make sure their grandchildren are happy. (Grandpas reading this may not agree but deep within they know grandmas are preferred by grandchildren. Hee Hee.)

Every grandma has a strange affable way to deal with situations. Their calming presence is magical. Grannies seldom get angry. Even when they do there's something amusing about them.

I was determined to get them outside in the fresh air and away from their iPads, but trampolining is not easy for a Granny.

Thankfully after a while they would allow me to sit on a chair while they jumped. Swimming was also a tad arduous, one game of "Marco Polo" had me almost drowned and gasping for breath. I tried hard to purchase a badminton net but thankfully failed to find one !!

I also had it firmly in my mind that children play too many computer games and so, as all Grannies do, faithfully I produced my dusty boxes of Scrabble, Monopoly and Cluedo.

I did notice an exchange of glances between the youngsters but they did sit down manfully to interact with Granny and to humor the old duck!!

Board games lasted all of five minutes as they drifted away one by one, rumpling my hair tenderly and saying "Granny we play these games every day of our lives, but we play them on our iPhones !!"

Oh well if you can't beat them, join them, I downloaded a whole lot of "apps" like "Angry Birds", "Fashion Board", "Fruit Ninja" and "Doodle Jump" and joined in the fun!!