I am very often mistaken for "Mom" when I'm out with my grandchildren (ages 12,12,10,7,5,3,3 and 18 mo). I don't feel it's a problem and neither do my children or grandchildren. The older grandkids think it is fun when someone thinks they are mine and the younger ones are too young to care one way or the other. I have always looked years younger than my real age. When my kids were teenagers people often assumed that I was their sister. My kids thought that was really cool.

My four grandchildren are always with me, shopping vacationing etc. Many times people come up to my husband and me and ask if they are ours. Our reply is always, just "yes, they are." The kids love it and so do we. Enjoy it! It's just one of the many perks of grandparenthood.

Being a 37 year old mother of a 4 year old only child, I can certainly understand why people would think you were the parents of this child rather than the grandparents! I would rather be confused in that way than the other way around!

My DH is 44 and I am 43 and when we take our 9 1/2 month old granddaughter out in public people have thought she was ours. We just laugh and say we are her grandparents. It doesn't bother us that others think she belongs to us.

I am 43 and I have 5 grandchildren of my own and 2 step-grandchildren. My mother was a grandmother at 32! Enjoy people thinking they are yours! Its nice when someone thinks you're not old enough to be a grandparent!

I have three daughters and 6 grandchildren, one in heaven and I have 2 new grandbabys on the way. I am 46 years young and love to have them with me, they make me laugh and feel young.

Just enjoy them. I was 37 when I became a grandma and my hubby 39. A lot of people think we're the parents, till we let them know otherwise. Then they say " but you look too young to be grandparents" We just laugh and say Thanks. Our daughter laughs about it too, when we tell her what happened.

I just turned 37 and am a GM to a 2 week old.....I just say no I am the Gramma when they talk to me about Gabriel...and say her momma is right her..and look at my DD! STacy

Yes, I know what you are saying, I am a 38 year old grammy and my husband is 35. Everyone thinks my grandson is our son and he is 11 months old. We always tell them we are his Granparents and they cannot beleive it. I enjou him so much. I love the name Grammy and I am like you, I hope I am this close to all my Grand kids.

My (just turned) 60 year old mother gets that too. She does look young and dress young. Her reaction? Yes and she is glad teenage pregnancies don't have the stigma they once did -- meaning she is saying she is 20 something. Brother. This is an improvement over her pre-grandma days when she made me (her daughter) lie about my age. "How can I tell people I am 40 when you are 30?!! They will write me up in a tabloid."

My parents were young too when my son was born. Dad was 39 turning 40 two weeks later, mom was 36. She was young when she had me, too. My children spend alot of time with my parents and they could easily be their kids. If I am out with my mom, people always, much to my dismay, think we are sisters. I think it is great for the kids to have young grandparents, I spent some time with my maternal grandparents but none with my paternal, they were old and then died. Same with my husband, only he never saw his grandfathers and only spent time with one grandma.

Oh yes, when my husband and I take our three grandsons Buck, 6 Bren, 3 and Colton 17 months, peope just assume that we are the parens...We have both just turned 43, so yes we were grandparents at 37, pretty young...But I have to tell you I love it!! I am thrilled to be young enough to get our and run around with those boys....And #4 is on the way!!!Grandkids are the best!!!

My mother attended church just after my birth (some 45 years ago!). A visitor to the church asked her how old her grand-daughter was. (My mom was 42) When she explained that she was my mom, the lady had the gall to argue with her! hehe She didn't do THAT again!

I'm visiting this forum for the first time. It's very interesting! So many grandparents are full of common sense and have a wonderful perspective. It's refreshing, esp. after being in the parenting forums where there can be lots of venom and righteousness and all out nastiness!

I'm a 39 year old mother...my son is 4, dd 9 mos. It's a new world, isn't it, where women are now having babies into their mid 40s (and older) and others are grandmoms at younger ages. Chronology is blurring as a woman's fertility spans more and more years. I guess the most important thing is that we love all of the chilren who come into our lives and go with the flow as philosophies change. Trust your instincts, parents and grandparents alike!

My DH and I were also very young grand parents and thought it was great. We now have 13, ages 2 to 25....I think the best one was when my oldest son was in high school, he and I went to some sort of event and one of his teachers asked him to introduce him to his sister,(ME!)I make sure he doesn't live that one down.......

I'm going to be a grandparent very soon to twin girls. I'm 36 until the first part of June and although I'm looking forward to their arrival I'm not too sure about being and "grandmother". It's the word grandmother, it makes me feel much older than I want to feel. I've been checking out different ways others have for referring to a grandmother and will hopefully find one that feels right for me. More than anything I can't wait to hold those two beautiful baby girls in my arms!

I still have my mouth open over Bengals announcement of having all them grandchildren!!! (lol)

I think that in this generation we see alot of parents who are older is why we can't seem to relate to young grandparents. The image of grandparents have always been the old woman and old man sitting on the front porch in rocking chairs... BUT.. Now it's different.. We are a younger generation, and NOT so OLD!! ((smiling))

I get mistaken all the time, and in fact, People have an easier time with me having a 4 year old grandson than a 25 year old son...

Count your blessings. Most people would love to have your problem!

This is my first visit to Grandparents forum. I cant stand it I have to share what happened to me. My son and Daughter in Law just blessed me with a Grandaughter in March. I flew from FL to CA to visit and one day my DIL had to work, so my son, GD and I went shopping. The store manager thought we were married. Made my day yea right made my year. Im 42 and my son is 21. We have 4 sons ages 23, 21, 18, and 12 and raising our nephews ages 11 and 2. When people would say all those boys (6 total) no girls. I would always say thats ok someday I'll have a Grandaughter. Now I do! God Bless all you loving parents and grandparents.

I am on the other side of it. My sister made my parents grandparents at the age of 33 & 35. They now have 3 (ages 12, 7, 4) and another due early Aug. The funny thing is when my dad, son and I go out - people assume my dad is my husband. He looks really young for his age. I find myself saying daddy this and daddy that until I think of the fact that some women call their husbands/boyfriends "big daddy". Then I get grossed out!!!!!!!LOLOLOL

In spite of gray hair Miss Clairol can't cover I have truly been mistaken for my daughter's sister. She was in the hospital for threatened premature labor with her second child and the nurse actually asked me if I was her sister! When I go out with her and the GKs people think I have three kids with a big gap in between. I must say I love it, it's a great ego boost. But LOL her husband, more than 10 years older than she is, has been mistaken for her father. That's life I guess. I am so glad my daughter had her kids in her early 20s as it looks like she has some problems that would keep her from ever having another baby and if she'd waited I'd probably have missed out on being Gramma. I'm also glad I had my kids in my early 20s so that I'm young enough to really enjoy being Gramma for many years to come. In this case Mother Nature really did know best.

Hello All,

I have been following the many posts regarding the challenges and rewards of being a young grandparent. Currently, most organizations that offer services focus on meeting the needs of a the more traditional "elder" grandparent caregivers.

To this end, my work essentially, highlights the unique experience of modern caregiver grandparents (e.g., younger) and evaluates their experience managing and coping with the numerous demands in their daily lives. Specifically, I am interested in determining the forms of coping that they engage in and their effects on outcomes such as their health and psychological well-being.

Specifically, I am running a survey for young caregiving grandmothers. Women 30-45 years, who are likely (1) still caring for children of their own, (2) still employed outside of the home, (3) are juggling the competing demands of being mother, grandmother, and a functional independent young to middle-aged woman.

If interested in learning more about this program, please contact me (Michelle Coleman) @:

Call: 1-888-764-7778 or email: jacketlint@gmail.com