All posts tagged: grandmothers

What a maternal grandmother’s presence secretly tells us about a child’s future

If you’re a grandmother, you probably have already realised that a child’s maternal grandma occupies a very specific place in children’s lives – and it just so happens that psychology proves it. A strong, healthy relationship with a granny lasts a lifetime; it continues even when the adorable little grandchild becomes an adult – and long after grandma passes away, too. Unconditional love and a calm approach to child-rearing have a lot to do with why the grandmother is such an important part of one’s life, but does she also influence her grandchildren’s emotional development? We wanted to know how the bond formed with a maternal grandmother impacts the development of a child’s personality and emotional well-being – so we put these questions and more to psychologist and family therapy specialist María Bustamante. The expert sheds light on this mother-daughter topic in a fascinating Q&A. Why is the maternal grandmother so important in children’s lives? “A grandmother, whether maternal or paternal, stands as living proof of someone who has successfully navigated the many tasks and …

The Wolf in Grandmother’s Clothing

Published by Jenni Sidey

There is nothing quite like a grandmother. In archetypal terms, a grandparent figure is someone who offers care without control, attention without surveillance, and concern without conditions. In the world of Jungian archetypes, she is a combination of The Sage and The Caregiver. The archetype functions through reassurance rather than discipline: “Are you eating?” “Are you well?” “Let me help.” The archetypal (if a bit transparent) Grandma even makes sure companionship needs are met: “Are you seeing anyone?” That’s why it’s so insidious and so dangerous when predators take on archetypal characteristics to lure their prey, and why the Big Bad Wolf in the Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale is especially frightening. It does help explain why some individuals with unmet emotional needs (often, but not always, young women) are drawn to men who don’t have their best interests at heart. We are also mystified by how ill-intentioned, transactional predators manage to attract high-functioning people into their circle. These targets may seem successful on the surface, but their emotional vulnerability draws them into the …

2 displaced Lebanese grandmothers reflect on successive Israeli invasions : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

Mariam Allawiya, 60 (left), and Kafa Wehbe, 67, sit together in a vacant apartment building in central Beirut after they were displaced from southern Lebanon by Israel’s current invasion. They both grew up in southern Lebanon, and Allawiya’s son married Wehbe’s daughter. Claire Harbage/NPR hide caption toggle caption Claire Harbage/NPR BEIRUT, Lebanon — Mariam Allawiya and Kafa Wehbe sit on a sun-drenched balcony, smoking. They both grew up amid olive groves in southern Lebanon. Allawiya’s son married Wehbe’s daughter. They’re grandmothers now. But this is not how they expected to grow old: Squatting in a vacant building in central Beirut, displaced many times. Yet they conjure hospitality for visiting reporters, pull up a donated plastic chair, and unspool the stories of their lives — which also tell the history of southern Lebanon. “What can I say? It’s all anxiety and war,” Allawiya, 60, says. A building in central Beirut where families who have been displaced by Israeli attacks are staying. Over a million people in Lebanon have been displaced since early March, according to the …

Your grandmother’s ‘old wives’ tale’ for UTIs actually works – a gynaecologist explains why

Published by Daniella Wilson

If you have ever suffered from a urinary tract infection, you know how miserable it can be: the burning sensation when urinating, that constant urge to nip to the loo, and a persistent feeling of discomfort. It is even worse when a UTI keeps recurring, leaving you feeling as though nothing truly works to prevent it. What is a UTI? Understanding the causes of recurrent cystitis in women But why does this happen? And more importantly, why do women suffer from more UTIs – also known as cystitis – than men? The answer lies in several factors: female anatomy, hygiene, daily habits and even your diet. “Cranberry prevents the agents responsible for urinary discomfort from taking hold, making it much easier for the body to flush them out” Integrative gynaecologist Dr Joan Matas Although UTIs can affect anyone, women – including those dealing with recurrent UTIs among other symptoms during menopause – are at a much higher risk. Our urethra is shorter and more exposed to bacteria like Escherichia coli, the main culprit behind the …

Kenya grandmothers coach next generation : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

Far-Flung Postcards is a weekly series in which NPR’s international team shares moments from their lives and work around the world. Last summer while traveling through Europe, I ran into a childhood friend who told me about a group of grandmothers in central Kenya who had formed a soccer team to keep fit and to give hope to a generation of teenagers. Back in Nairobi, I had to find out for myself, and so last month, I took a bus north to the foothills of Mount Kenya. Miriam Wangui spent 20 years doing humanitarian work at the United Nations in Geneva, came home, and last year opened a training center that included a soccer academy for teenagers. What she never planned for was grandmothers — she tells me they just arrived one Friday and said they wanted their own team. “It was just organic.” At 72, Ann Wanjugu, in the center of this photo, is the oldest. She grins telling me she left her kitchen mid-cooking to run and register for a training session earlier …

People Praise Grandmother’s Reaction To Daughter’s Pregnancy

Published by Jenni Sidey

While a pregnancy announcement is often taken as good news, one grandmother had a different reaction when her child revealed her third pregnancy in a video. Most people were on the grandma’s side when it came to her response. That’s not exactly typical, but when it comes to raising kids, if you don’t have enough time or money to handle the ones you’ve already brought into the world, it’s probably best not to have another. Raising kids is a whole lot harder than getting pregnant, and according to the viewers watching the video, this grandma had a good point. After revealing their third pregnancy, one couple’s mother appeared disappointed. In the now private video, the couple is seen sitting in the backyard of their house with their mother when they decide to announce their third pregnancy. There is a sonogram of the couple’s third baby in their mother’s hands as they record her reaction, predicting it would be one of joy. Anatoliy Cherkas | Shutterstock Instead, they were taken aback by the grandmother’s apparent disappointment. “Another one? Already? You …

Why Harry Styles Says He Laughed at His Grandmother’s Funeral

Published by Daniella Wilson

Harry Styles has admitted that he laughed at his grandma’s funeral, but he has a specific reason. The Grammy-winning singer made a recent appearance on Brittany Broski’s Royal Court, where she brought up Styles’s song “Music for a Sushi Restaurant.” The host then proceeded to ask him what other locations he thinks also deserve to have a song written about them. In a surprising response, the singer said the crematorium. “I really like cremation songs,” Styles confessed, as Broski and the room erupted in laughter. The former One Direction member went on to explain how his interest in cremation songs first came about. “I remember being at my grandma’s funeral, and as the belt started, it just went ‘the long and winding road’ (referring to The Beatles song), and it made me laugh,” he recalled. “It feels so inappropriate because of how abrupt it was,” Styles added. “And then I just started thinking about inappropriate cremation songs. … And then I was off.” The “As It Was” artist also took a moment to name some of the specific …

On inheriting your grandmother’s jewelry and reinventing style

Published by skeptic

The first time I saw the watch was not in real life but in a painting, a self-portrait. In it, my grandmother wears a crisp white blouse, collar popped up, tucked into a matching full skirt. She’s standing in front of a marble fireplace decked with ivy. Her face is in three-quarter profile, and she’s wearing her cat-eye eyeglasses. Her arms are crossed and one of her pinkie fingers is slightly raised. The effect is somewhat regal; I imagine this was intentional. She’s wearing several pieces of jewelry in the image, all of them small, all of them gold. At the center of the canvas, right where her arms are crossed, is the watch. I think this placement was intentional too. I never thought about the watch again until one day I realized it was in my possession. I can’t remember if she gave it to me or if I received it after she died. I look at it now — it’s sitting on my desk as I write. It casts an odd kind of …

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