I’m the guardian of my daughter’s two children. My daughter had to leave the state for work two years ago and was unable to take her kids which has meant that I’ve been responsible for them ever since. As their grandmother, I take my job very seriously. It’s like having my own kids all over again, and it has made me remember just how challenging but rewarding parenting can be. Having experienced parenting forty years ago and again now, I can say with good authority that it is definitely harder to be a parent today.
These days there is so much more to worry about. Forty years ago my husband and I would put our kids in the back of the trailer and drive them down to the store without a second thought. Nowadays, if your car isn’t the safest one on the road, you’re seemingly a bad parent, or in my case, guardian. The first thing I did two years ago when I found out I would be taking in my grandkids was make a trip to the car service centre. Midland roads can be rough on cars, and so I did my due diligence an
d made sure my car was up to scratch. I personally had no problem with how my car drove, but I knew I had to do what was best for the kids.
It turned out that it was actually very lucky that I went to the mechanic that day two years ago. Apparently, without my noticing, something had gone wrong with the brakes and I was in urgent need of a brakes repair. I definitely don’t believe that we have to be as cautious with the kids as we are, but driving with dodgy brakes would just be ridiculous. I want my grandchildren to be safe, just as much now as I did two years ago. I’ve gotten my car serviced twice since I took them in. It’s better to be safe than sorry.