A Grandparent's Dilemma

Very often when I'm baby sitting for my grand children, I'm transported back to the days when my own kids were their age. I often ask myself, 'what would I do?' Then I remember that they're not mine and I recast the question to 'what would their parents want me to do?' The answer to both questions is usually the same. Take for example a situation that occurred today. I was at the bus stop with my 3 year old grand daughter waiting for her sister to come home from kindergarten. With us was my daughter's neighbor and her two children-a little boy and girl about the same age as my two grand daughters. The neighbor's children kept playing in the road on the corner, throwing leaves at each other. Their mother kept telling them to move to a safer location, but they ignored her. Of course my granddaughter thought it would be OK for her to be there too but being the nervous Nelly I am, I told her to stay on the grass. She, like her little friends, ignored me so I picked her up and brought her back with me. That in turn led to a very loud outburst of tears and protests. Nevertheless, as uncomfortable as it was, I stuck to my guns and eventually she calmed down and accepted the fact that she wasn't going to play in the road. There are many times when parents (and grand parents) have to exercise common sense where others are not and do what they think is right. It reminds me of all those times when teenagers protest 'but everyone's parents let them do it!!' The lesson to be learned is stick to your guns. The kids will get over it and you will have done the right thing.