July 2, 2025
What it's like to be a grandparent and what our grandkids mean to us
In this touching and uplifting installment, We Are the Hanson's dives into what it's really like to be a grandparent in a big, lively family. From spontaneous hugs to life lessons passed down over homemade meals, the Hanson's share personal stories, humorous moments, and emotional reflections on the powerful role grandparents play. Whether you're a grandparent yourself or just love good family storytelling, this episode will leave you smiling and inspired.
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Hey, everyone, and welcome back to We are the hans Ends.
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I am so glad you're here with me today. I'm
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Maya and this episode is really special for me because
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we're talking about something that heads close to the heart,
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being a grandparent. Now, if you're new here, let me
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just say our family is big, busy and beautifully chaotic.
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We've got a lot of love to go around, and
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becoming a grandparent has only added another layer of joy, laughter,
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and let's be honest, some tears too. Today I want
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to talk about being a grandparent and what it really
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means it's different from parenting, and what our grandkids bring
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to our lives. I'll share some personal stories, a few
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lessons I've learned along the way, and why I think
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being a grandparent is one of life's greatest blessings. Let
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me start with this, There's something indescribable about the moment
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you find out you're going to be a grandparent. When
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I first heard those words you're going to be a grandma,
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I felt this overwhelming mix of emotions pride, shock, joy,
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and a little bit of wait, am I old enough
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for this? And then pure raw love. And then when
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that baby is born, when you hold your grandchild for
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the first time. It's like the whole world flows down.
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You look at that little and see a piece of
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your child and a whole new person, all wrapped in
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this miracle. It's not like when you become a parent,
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where there's this intense responsibility. As a grandparent, you feel
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more peace, more reflection, and so much love. People often
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say grandparents get to do all the fun stuff without
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the hard work. That's partly true. I'll admit we're the
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ones sneaking a little extra cookie or letting bedtime slide
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just a few minutes when they stay the night. But
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I think the role of a grandparent is deeper than that.
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We're here to support not just our grandkids, but our
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own kids as they raise them. We get to show
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up with love, wisdom, patience, and perspective. We've lived enough
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life to know what matters. We're also the storytellers, the
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ones who say, when your mom was young, or let
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me tell you what your grandpa used to do. We
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passed down history, culture, recipes and traditions. And most importantly,
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we offer unconditional love a soft place to land. That
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is our job as grandparents. You'd think we're the ones
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teaching them. But let me tell you, our grandkids teach
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us just as much. They remind us to slow down,
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to laugh, to dance in the kitchen and sing off key.
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They remind us what joy looks like in its purest form.
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They also pull us into the present moment. When I'm
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with my grandkids, I'm not thinking about bills or errands.
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I'm listening to their stories about school or letting them
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paint my nails neon pink. I'm just there. The presence
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is a gift. It's something I think we sometimes miss
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during the busy parenting years. Grandkids bring that presence back.
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Let's talk about what it means to be a grandparent
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while still being a parent, because let's be real, our
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babies are still our babies, even when they have babies
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of their own. One of the most important things I've
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learned is how to support without overstepping, being there to
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help but not to control, to offer advice but only
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when asked, to cheer them on and remind them that
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they're doing a great job. My kids know this, I
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tell them all the time. We know how hard parenting is.
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We remember the exhaustion, the worries, and the messes That's
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why I always try to show up with grace, with
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an open heart, and with the reminder that there's no
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right way to raise a child, because life does not
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give you a book. There is no parenting book that
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tells you how to raise your child. Oh, sleepovers with
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the grandkids, you know, they used to wear me out. Okay,
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they still do, but they are some of my favorite memories.
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We make popcorn, we play games, and they always seem
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to end up in my bed at some point. We
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have dance parties in the living room, movie marathons, and
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sometimes even baked cookies at nine pm, because well why not.
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It's not about being perfect, it's about being present. Those
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moments create memories they'll never forget, and neither will I.
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Watching our grandkids grow is beautiful, bittersweet, and what an experience.
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You celebrate every milestone, the first steps, the missing teeth,
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the first days of school. But there's this ache too
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because we know how fast it all goes. We've lived
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it already. So when you see your grandchild tying their
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shoes or riding a bike, you're not just watching the moment,
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You're feeling everything behind the passage of time, the beauty
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of life, the circle continuing. When my grandkids come to visit,
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it's pure happiness. They bring so much joy, and just
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watching that first step was amazing. Watching them learn to
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say new words, those are some of the memories that
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I capture, whether it's in video or just catching them
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dancing to Bluey or Cinderella or the Lion King, it's
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amazing and that feeling is so joyful. I think a
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lot about what I want to leave behind, not in
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terms of money or things, values, memories and love. I
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want my grandkids to grow up knowing they are deeply loved.
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I want them to remember that their grandma always had
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a hug, a smile, and a snack ready. That's what
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grandparents are about. And our kids know when they bring
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the grandkids to grandma and Grandpa's that they're gonna have suites,
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they're gonna have late bedtimes. It's not going to be
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the same because every moment we spend with our grandkids
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is just memories that we're making. And when my grandkids
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get into stuff and the other kids will say, Mom,
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she's getting into this, and I'm like, oh, that's okay,
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she's just making memories. My kids look at me and say,
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we would never be allowed to get away with that.
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How come grandkids are different? Grandkids come to visit and
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then they go home. They can have all their punishment
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at mom and Dad's while Grandma and Grandpa are their saviors.
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I want them to remember that their grandma and grandpa
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always had a hug and a smile. I want them
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to remember the silly songs, the late night talks, the
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prayers whispered over them when they slept. We all hope
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to be remembered, and I hope I'm remembered as a
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grandma who showed up with love, with joy, with my
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whole heart. It is just an amazing feeling being a grandparent,
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and me and my husband enjoy being grandparents. You only
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get so much time, and what better way to celebrate
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the time you have here being with your grandkids. That
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is the best. Yes, I love being with my children.
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I love watching my kids be aunts and uncles to
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their siblings' kids. It's joy. It's something that makes you
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smile and think. Boy, I raised a good bunch of children.
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My kids have always been really close with their nieces
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and nephews, and watching them with them is amazing and
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just being able to be a grandparent is absolutely wonderful.
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And if you don't have grandkids of your own, wait,
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wait and see, because you'll know what I'm talking about.
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When you become a grandparent, it is absolutely amazing and
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I would never change it for anything. And I hope
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you know, since we have a big family and a
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lot of kids, I hope to have so many grandchildren
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running around my house and spending the night with us
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all together and just getting them all together and enjoying them,
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because that is the best memories, the best. So to
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all the grandparents out there, whether you're brand new or
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many grandkids deep, you're doing something sacred. You're giving your time,
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your wisdom, and your heart. And to my grandkids, if
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you ever listen to this one day, you are a
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treasure in our lives, a reminder of everything good. You've
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made my world brighter. And to the parents in the
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thick of raising little ones, your day will come too.
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And let me tell you it's worth the weight. I
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cannot say that enough. It is a big treasure. In fact,
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it's like hitting the jackpot of gold. That's how much
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grandkids mean to us. Our own kids mean a lot
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to us as well, but there's just something different about
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your grandkids. And I always tell my kids, you will
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understand when you have grandkids of your own, and you
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will look back and say, hmmm, Mom and dad said
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that to us when we were kids, and now we
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know how it feels. Thank you for spending time with
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me today. If this episode touched your heart, share it
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with a fellow grandparent or someone who needs a reminder
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of how beautiful family can be. Until next time, I'm
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Maya Hanson and this is we are the Hansens four
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00:12:09.200 --> 00:12:13.559
136
00:12:13.720 --> 00:12:21.759
137
00:12:21.799 --> 00:12:26.200
138
00:12:26.320 --> 00:12:30.039
139
00:12:30.679 --> 00:12:34.919
140
00:12:34.960 --> 00:12:42.559
141
00:12:42.720 --> 00:12:48.759
142
00:12:49.720 --> 00:12:52.840
143
00:12:52.879 --> 00:12:56.320
144
00:12:56.360 --> 00:13:01.320
145
00:13:01.399 --> 00:13:05.919
146
00:13:06.000 --> 00:13:10.279
147
00:13:10.279 --> 00:13:12.679
148
00:13:12.799 --> 00:13:16.600
149
00:13:16.679 --> 00:13:20.600
150
00:13:20.639 --> 00:13:25.039
151
00:13:25.080 --> 00:13:29.559
152
00:13:29.600 --> 00:14:00.720
