Grandma Nesting Syndrome
I've had occasion in the past few days to observe the odd behavior I like to call Grandma Nesting Syndrome. Now we all expect this behavior from pregnant women in those last few months before the birth, but I wonder if anyone has noticed that it is contagious to the future grandparents. This weekend, it took the form of rampant Garage Sale Mania. I noticed it was happening when I realized that what seemed like 90% of all the women poking through the piles of used strollers, car seats, pack and plays, slightly worn toys and outgrown baby clothes were well past the age of possibly being pregnant. It was the "granny brigade", clamoring to purchase just the right items to make their homes and yards comfortable for "when the grandchildren come".
My girlfriend Joan has recently contracted the condition. We just talked at her future grandson's baby shower a few weeks ago. She never mentioned a word about having any work done on the house, but the grandchild is due in about 6 weeks and she has suddenly decided to do a major renovation upstairs to make it more comfortable for her son, daughter-in-law and the baby when they visit. "I made sure the new stair railing was baby safe", she mentioned to me on the phone. Yep, she's caught it!
I have to admit that I myself, have fallen prey to this obsession, devoting a whole alcove in my one bedroom cottage to "Sarah's stuff" right down to her own little upholstered rocker near the fireplace. It was, after all, Grandma Nesting Syndrome that spurred me to move from my former affordable efficiency apartment to the expensive cottage with the backyard. It's what drives me every Saturday morning to grab a tea-to-go and the classifieds, then spend the morning scouring tag sales. Like a well-oiled machine, with strategic precision that the Pentagon would envy, my cousin Dawn (new grandparent) and I keep in touch by cell phone as we each hit different sales, then touch bases a few times during the search to let each other know which sales to run to and which to skip. "The one on Eagle has a lot of girl things" she texts me, and I rearrange my flight plan to hit that one next. We all want the grandchildren to enjoy being at "our" house.
I am assuming that this syndrome will wind down over the years. My only hope is that the urge will disappear before the only thing that makes the kid comfortable is a red convertible in my driveway with the keys in the ignition!
Visit Nona Nita's Nook at http://www.nonanitasnook.com for more information on Enlightened, Modern Grandparenting and My Path Productions at http://mypathproductions.com for tools to foster Enlightened living.
My girlfriend Joan has recently contracted the condition. We just talked at her future grandson's baby shower a few weeks ago. She never mentioned a word about having any work done on the house, but the grandchild is due in about 6 weeks and she has suddenly decided to do a major renovation upstairs to make it more comfortable for her son, daughter-in-law and the baby when they visit. "I made sure the new stair railing was baby safe", she mentioned to me on the phone. Yep, she's caught it!
I have to admit that I myself, have fallen prey to this obsession, devoting a whole alcove in my one bedroom cottage to "Sarah's stuff" right down to her own little upholstered rocker near the fireplace. It was, after all, Grandma Nesting Syndrome that spurred me to move from my former affordable efficiency apartment to the expensive cottage with the backyard. It's what drives me every Saturday morning to grab a tea-to-go and the classifieds, then spend the morning scouring tag sales. Like a well-oiled machine, with strategic precision that the Pentagon would envy, my cousin Dawn (new grandparent) and I keep in touch by cell phone as we each hit different sales, then touch bases a few times during the search to let each other know which sales to run to and which to skip. "The one on Eagle has a lot of girl things" she texts me, and I rearrange my flight plan to hit that one next. We all want the grandchildren to enjoy being at "our" house.
I am assuming that this syndrome will wind down over the years. My only hope is that the urge will disappear before the only thing that makes the kid comfortable is a red convertible in my driveway with the keys in the ignition!
Visit Nona Nita's Nook at http://www.nonanitasnook.com for more information on Enlightened, Modern Grandparenting and My Path Productions at http://mypathproductions.com for tools to foster Enlightened living.
That's an interesting hypothesis, the "Grandma Nesting Syndrome." I have no doubt you have highlighted something real, and I look forward to exploring it!
Enjoyed your post--
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