Becoming a Glamparent

Could it be that as baby boomers we really feel as though we're too lively, too awesome, too stylish to be called "Grandma"? Does the word "Grandma" indicate an old person, perhaps even decrepit? Last week I went to a children's publication shop and also noticed that nearly every book about grandparents showed grandma with white hair and innumerable wrinkles, along with bent over grandfather wearing glasses, looking totally ancient. Look online and see the "old" grandparent photos there. When we see these images, it's no wonder numerous of us don't wish to be called Grandma. There's a stigma associated to the name.

However, let's re-assess this for a minute. It's such an honor to be a grandparent. It's a pleasure that no one can comprehend till it happens to them. Aren't we as old as we feel? Today's g-parents consider themselves as young, they act young, and they look more youthful than the grandparents of generations ago. It does not suggest that we need to not like being called Grandma. The hot new name seems to be GlamMa. The Urban Dictionary states, "If 60 is the new 40, then GlamMa is the new Grandma, a woman with a sense of self and style." Glamparenting is "the new generation of grandmas, who are elegant in the way that they live and dress. These females don't fit the common cardigan-wearing, permed hair granny stereotype, they are attractive."

There's an abundance of different and one-of-a-kind nicknames when you look up grandparent names. If you don't want to be called Grandma, then choose one you like. As I think of my own grandma, my heart is full of pleasure. We called her "Bubbles" and "Gaga". She was definitely terrific and the very best cook ever. (Boy, do I wish I 'd paid a lot more interest to her food preparation tricks.) I would not have thought any differently of her, if we had called her Grandma. I loved her no matter what.

Really, the name is the least important aspect here. Bottom line: being grandma is a gift, something to be CELEBRATED. It does not matter whether we are Nana, or Mimi, or Grammy, or GlamMa. What matters is that we love our grandkids and they love us. Aren't there bigger issues to deal with?