Question for grandparents

[bif]

My daughter gave birth to our first grandchild last weekend. My wife is absolutely over the moon about it. She'd be over at her house all day if she could. She loves holding the little guy and just can't get enough of him. For me, it's just a blob with a face on it. I'm a bit indifferent about him at this point. Should I feel guilty about it?

[Cracklin Charlie]

1. No.

Because you’ll come around, and probably be worse than your wife. Give it a minute.

Congratulations!

[Freddie]

2. No

I’m female with 2 kids and 3 grandkids and I never really liked the new-newborn stage, couldn’t wait til they started turning into “people”. For me that’s when the baby starts responding to you (smiling, looking at you and things), 2 months or so.

[empedocles]

4. My son feels that way. He'll wait until the baby starts doing things to be interesting.

[I shed tears at the birth of each of my two children. Still feel for/with them a lot even though both are married].

[bif]

6. That's kind of they way I am.

I hate when people shove infants at you and tell you to hold them. Now, when it came to my two daughters, it was a different story. I loved cuddling them, and rocking them, etc. Now they're both over 30. Many they sure grow up fast!

[Marthe48]

3. Bonding takes time

The idea of instant bonding is a myth.

One daughter opted not to have kids. The other had children when she was past 30. My husband and I were used to a retired life by the time the grandkids came into the world, but we totally embraced being their caretakers as much as we were needed with after the parents' family leave was over. They are both almost teenagers, so I don't see them as much as I used to, but they are a huge part of my life.

I liked to hold them when they were tiny and watch their faces as they slept. I could see the different relatives features in the tiny faces, one after another-sometimes someone in my family, or my husband's, or my son-in-law's family. It was fascinating. And it seemed like their growth and progress zipped by.

[empedocles]

5. Seems to me that the kids grow so fast, like rockets.

[TomSlick]

7. Give it time.

Grandchildren have hidden hooks. The grandchild will seize your heart soon enough and you will never reclaim it.