The first time I held my newborn granddaughter, I was mesmerized, immediately awash in love. The second minute, my mind drifted in a less wholesome direction — could I spirit her away under my coat? In my backpack? In my carry-on luggage when I flew across the country back home? I’m kidding. Sort of.
The connection was profound. I never wanted to let her go. Soon enough though, tiny Annie got hungry and began rooting around my chest, becoming increasingly frantic by the minute. “Oh, honey, that restaurant has been closed for decades,” I told her, feeling forlorn.
My daughter scooped up the baby and began to nurse her. Annie may have felt like my baby. I may have wanted her to be my baby. But nature had bluntly reminded me that those days were over. I was a grandma now and — baby lust aside — I needed some attitude adjustment.
Cue grandparenting class. Literally. I am a proud graduate of “Grandparenting in 2021,” having completed the two-hour virtual class given through the Perinatal Education Program at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford in California. Classes for new grandparents are popping up around the country.
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