Now, This Is What A Truly Supportive Grandparent Looks Like

Whether it’s a smiling face at school pickup or a favorite dish at mealtime, the support that grandparents provide gives children (and their parents) a solid, loving foundation that will shape the rest of their lives.

Some grandparents, however, go above and beyond. When we asked members of our HuffPost Parents Facebook community to share examples of the way grandparents had supported their families, they set an extremely high bar.

Dana Lopez described how her in-laws welcomed her family into their home, building an extension on their house to accommodate them, and have provided child care, including school drop-offs and pick-ups.

“They have gone above and beyond for years, and there isn’t a moment I take their support for granted,” Lopez said. “I’m at my dream job because of them, and my sons have wonderful relationships with their grandparents. I’m forever thankful.”

Denise Kinderling, a mother of four in Pennsylvania, described the time she was recovering from serious health issues and her parents took all four children under their wing for almost a month, taking them on vacation and arranging play dates. “Not only am I incredibly grateful to my parents, I literally could not do this parenting thing without them,” she said.

Sarah Peterson Rhine of Ohio explained that her family was able to navigate the chaos of the pandemic by having the kids attend “Grandma school” while both parents were required to report to work. “I don’t know how we would have gotten through that crazy time without Grandma and Grandpa,” she said.

Mary Anne McGory explained that her mother paid $1,200 a month for a year so that her daughter could access the gender-affirming health care she needed.

But it isn’t only large gifts of time or money