Okay, okay ,okay… we will be the first to admit that we do spoil our grandchildren (who doesn’t?!) But, sometimes we might not realize that some of our other “grandma treats” might be really bothering the parents! Here are 5 things that we know our children (the parents!) can’t stand!* 

1. Criticizing parenting practices
The International Journal of Educational Research and Development found that parental authority is an essential tool in the process of raising children. Any negative statements from grandparents certainly don’t help moms and dads to set an example for their child. In the worst cases, it can even severely undermine trust between them.

2. Publishing photos without permission
Parents can grow afraid of sending photos of children to their grandparents because they often immediately appear on the Internet. The older generation isn’t always so familiar with information technology, so grannies and granddads sometimes don’t understand that absolutely any person will be able to see these photos. Of course, parents, in their turn, may not want to put their private life on public display.

3. Buying unnecessary toys
Parents know very well which toys children already have and which ones they really need. In addition, when refusing to buy everything, they teach their kids to value money and spend it wisely. When interfering in this process, the grandparents do the child a disservice.

4. Imposing their own rules
According to a study, children are very susceptible to influences from the outside world. Their worldview and values are very fragile, so it’s important they face the least amount of contradictions. When parents teach children one thing and grandparents another, this leads to dissonance which can complicate the learning process.

5. Telling their friends everything about their grandchildren
We often come to our parents for advice, even about raising children. We can discuss quite intimate things that are best not shared with strangers. Learning that friends of the grandparents not only learned of these things but also thoroughly discussed them, usually infuriates parents.

*Portions of article reprinted from: https://brightside.me/inspiration-family-and-kids/10-things-grandparents-do-that-parents-often-cant-stand-796517/