'Do you know what my mother did to the baby?'
My friend Janice was almost in tears on the phone.
'What, what?' I asked, imagining that the woman had dropped the six-month-old baby on her head or burnt her in the bath.
'She gave her ice cream. ICE CREAM! Can you believe it?'
I listened dutifully to this tale of woe, but I was torn. Yes, this unauthorised administration of icecream went against Janice's carefully crafted organic, non-dairy, weaning programme.
But having grown up with an Ouma who delighted in spoiling me, I could just imagine the joy it gave Janice's mom to break the rules with that cool, sticky teaspoonful.
Our editor-in-chief Sam Wilson talks in her column about how spending time with grandparents can transform us, and we've also looked at the different roles grandparents can play in our children's lives.
After all, as Janice's mother said in her own defence: 'A child needs a little ice cream.'
Read more about grandparents:
Living with Granny
In Granny's hands
Everything I know
Do you have a wonderful grandparent story, or do you wish your child had more time with theirs? Please share your granny and grandpa tales.
My friend Janice was almost in tears on the phone.
'What, what?' I asked, imagining that the woman had dropped the six-month-old baby on her head or burnt her in the bath.
'She gave her ice cream. ICE CREAM! Can you believe it?'
I listened dutifully to this tale of woe, but I was torn. Yes, this unauthorised administration of icecream went against Janice's carefully crafted organic, non-dairy, weaning programme.
But having grown up with an Ouma who delighted in spoiling me, I could just imagine the joy it gave Janice's mom to break the rules with that cool, sticky teaspoonful.
Our editor-in-chief Sam Wilson talks in her column about how spending time with grandparents can transform us, and we've also looked at the different roles grandparents can play in our children's lives.
After all, as Janice's mother said in her own defence: 'A child needs a little ice cream.'
Read more about grandparents:
Living with Granny
In Granny's hands
Everything I know
Do you have a wonderful grandparent story, or do you wish your child had more time with theirs? Please share your granny and grandpa tales.